4 ms·

How science is giving voice to mummies such as Ötzi the Iceman

13 points by Cozumel 10y ago

xutopia 10y ago
I wonder if this software could reproduce my voice or the voices of dead actors so we can continue to use their likeness posthumously.
- Cozumel 10y ago
  Technically it will be possible at some point but there's also the legal/ethical considerations. Robin Williams went out of his way to make sure his likeness couldn't be used after his death ( https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/31/robin-williams-restricted-use-image-despite-existing-us-laws https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/31/robin-williams-... ) We might be able to bring back great actors from the dead, but would they want it? Would that matter? Probably a lot of their estates would jump at the chance for extra money.
- zeristor 10y ago
  Peter Jones, Michael Horden, Richard Burton, Richard Vernon, James Mason, Terry Thomas... and Kenneth Williams too All voices I would love to hear, and talk with. We don't have their larynx's to scan, to physically model, but surely there should be enough recording of their voice to model them, for s speech synthesiser? I recollect someone saying if they had more recording of Stephen Hawking's voice they would have been able to use it in his speech synthesiser. Which raises another question, who owns a voice?
- has2k1 10y ago
  First, your way of writing will be imitated. Then, the words will be matched to your voice. Then, the voice will be matched to a video of your likeness. Then, a talking hologram of your likeness. Maybe more could be follow, but at present my optimism is slightly deficient to envision it.
  - contingencies 10y ago
    This was exactly the subject of one of the episodes of Black Mirror, a very interesting short TV serial from the UK specifically about the impact of technology on current and near-term society.
- simonh 10y ago
  If the horrible plastic Audrey Hepburn in the chocolate advert was anything to go by, I sincerely hope not.
PhasmaFelis 10y ago
I read that as "giving votes to mummies." I thought "Jeez, I've heard of the 'graveyard vote' but this is a whole new level."

13 points by Cozumel 10y ago

I wonder if this software could reproduce my voice or the voices of dead actors so we can continue to use their likeness posthumously.

Cozumel 10y ago
Technically it will be possible at some point but there's also the legal/ethical considerations. Robin Williams went out of his way to make sure his likeness couldn't be used after his death ( https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/31/robin-williams-restricted-use-image-despite-existing-us-laws https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/31/robin-williams-... ) We might be able to bring back great actors from the dead, but would they want it? Would that matter? Probably a lot of their estates would jump at the chance for extra money.
zeristor 10y ago
Peter Jones, Michael Horden, Richard Burton, Richard Vernon, James Mason, Terry Thomas... and Kenneth Williams too All voices I would love to hear, and talk with. We don't have their larynx's to scan, to physically model, but surely there should be enough recording of their voice to model them, for s speech synthesiser? I recollect someone saying if they had more recording of Stephen Hawking's voice they would have been able to use it in his speech synthesiser. Which raises another question, who owns a voice?
has2k1 10y ago
First, your way of writing will be imitated. Then, the words will be matched to your voice. Then, the voice will be matched to a video of your likeness. Then, a talking hologram of your likeness. Maybe more could be follow, but at present my optimism is slightly deficient to envision it.
- contingencies 10y ago
  This was exactly the subject of one of the episodes of Black Mirror, a very interesting short TV serial from the UK specifically about the impact of technology on current and near-term society.
simonh 10y ago
If the horrible plastic Audrey Hepburn in the chocolate advert was anything to go by, I sincerely hope not.

PhasmaFelis 10y ago

I read that as "giving votes to mummies." I thought "Jeez, I've heard of the 'graveyard vote' but this is a whole new level."