"After receiving treatment, my voice was gone as I knew it."
Speak Up
Val Kilmer, Top Gun actor, lost his ability to speak after he was diagnosed with throat cancer. He can now speak again, at least thanks to an AI algorithm that mimics his voice with astonishing accuracy.
According to TheWrap, Kilmer collaborated with Sonantic, an AI developer, to train an algorithm from old recordings of his voice in order to synthesize new speech. Similar to the way the creators of Roadrunner used an algorithm on old recordings of his voice to synthesize Anthony Bourdains voice, but this time it was done with Kilmers permission and blessing.
Uncanny Valley
If you listen carefully, the voice sounds a bit rough around the edges. If you didn't know it was a speech synthesizer algorithm speaking to you, you might be deceived.
Kilmer explained the algorithm to me in a promotional video. My voice was gone as soon as I got treatment.
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People around me struggle to understand me when Im talking, the digitally-constructed voice continued. Yet, I feel the exact same person despite all of this. I am still the same creative spirit.
Ironically, Kilmer was also featured on a recent documentary, Val. However, unlike Roadrunner the film doesn't use any AI reconstructions according to TheWrap. Instead, it relies on old footage and new lines recited in Kilmers son Jack.
READ MORE: Watch Val Kilmer use an AI Voice Model to Talk About His Creative Soul (Video [TheWrap]).
More on AI voices: The new documentary by Anthony Bourdain uses AI to recreate his voice
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