Fifty-five years ago, the legendary Gene Wilder invited us to join him in a world of pure imagination. Today, a disembodied AI recreation of his sonorous vocals is inviting us to explore his newest wonders beyond imagination. But there is little imaginative about using an AI-generated version of Wilder's voice to sell Netflix subscribers on a new Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory-themed reality show, and honestly, it feels deeply troubling.
The new show, set to air in September on Netflix, borrows sets, themes, and even one living actor who played an Oompa Loompa from the original 1971 film. The goal is to create a reality show that hopes to capture the charm and danger of the original. However, the decision to use AI to resurrect the voice of an actor who died in 2016 has sparked intense debate.
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The soulless AI voice lacks emotion and pathos
In the trailer, the AI voice created by ElevenLabs is unmistakably Wilder-like, but it is devoid of any recognizable human emotion. In the original film, Wilder's voice fluctuated between gentle warmth and sinister menace, guiding the audience through a tale of poverty, greed, and redemption. His performance was so nuanced that it made Wonka a unique character: a kind magician who could turn into a stern judge in an instant. The AI, by contrast, delivers a flat, passionless recitation.
The ethical problem of using AI posthumously
This situation raises a fundamental question: just because AI can do something, should it? While technology can recreate voices and faces of deceased artists with family permission, it risks turning their legacy into a mere marketing tool. Similar discussions arose around the AI-generated Val Kilmer, but fully recreating a deceased actor feels like a step too far. As a critic wrote, it resembles the work of Baron Frankenstein: a monstrous creation that probably has no place on earth.
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For more on the ethical debate, see the Wikipedia page on AI ethics. Netflix previously faced backlash for using AI voices in documentaries, but this reality show marks a new low.
The key question remains: do we want AI to resurrect our idols, stripped of their soul, just to sell subscriptions? Perhaps it is better to let the dead rest in peace.
