On Monday, James Earl Jones died. Among the many roles he played over a six-decade career, his voice became synonymous with Darth Vader from the Star Wars franchise.
But Jones’ voice as Darth Vader will live on. Several years ago, the EGOT winner made an agreement with Skywalker Studios to recreate his baritone for future Star Wars series, including the recent Disney+ show Obi-Won Kenobi.
James Earl Jones’ voice was cloned by Respeecher, an AI company based in Ukraine that has also worked on the voices of Richard Nixon, Wilt Chamberlain, Edith Piaf, and Elvis Presley. Reassuringly, Respeecher has a whole section on their website on AI ethics and has created guidelines with companies like TikTok, the BBC, and Adobe stressing the need for accountability and consent for the use of others voices.
Add this James Earl Jones license to other AI examples like Al Michael’s AI Olympics updates as evidence that the future is now.
In a galaxy not so far away, broadcasters now have the technical ability to air their talent indefinitely if the talent (or their estate) consents. Talent can voice promos in the distant future with royalties paid to their kin.
For fans and brands, this offers a comforting continuity, a chance to continue to hear those iconic voices. And for creators, it presents an opportunity to honor legacies in a way that bridges past and future, ensuring that these voices—both literal and symbolic—live on for generations to come.
‘Apple Intelligence’ Timeline, Features Announced
During their annual fall product announcement, Apple revealed details about AI tools that will be integrated into new iPhones, AirPods, and iPhones. Apple Intelligence will begin rolling out next month. The platform emphasizes the importance of seamless technology across devices and how content creators, including radio stations, need to meet growing user expectations for smooth, integrated digital experiences across multiple platforms. jacapps’ COO Bob Kernen provides analysis here.
Audible Narrators Can Now Clone Their Voices
Amazon is inviting a small group of Audible narrators to create AI versions of their voices to speed up audiobook production. This US-only beta test will expand to include authors, agents, and publishers later this year. Details
Adobe Generative Video Coming to Premiere This Year
The new features include “Text to Video” and “Image to Video,” allowing users to generate short, five-second videos from text prompts or images. Additionally, a “Generative Extend” feature will let users add a couple of seconds to existing video clips seamlessly. These tools, aimed at helping video creators speed up production and enhance creativity, will be available through Adobe Premiere Pro’s beta and Firefly’s dedicated website. Details
OpenAI Release New ‘Strawberry’ Model
Over the summer, random posts on X teased something having to do with AI and a strawberry. Yesterday OpenAI revealed the details behind the tease. OpenAI Strawberry is a new generative model available in ChatGPT that offers advanced reasoning, similar to PhD students. The downside? Because the model reviews its own answers, results are much slower than previous models. Users can now use Strawberry, also called “o1-preview,” in paid-for ChatGPT accounts. Details
Originally published by Jacobs Media
