James Earl Jones' voice lives on through AI. Voice actors are in a dilemma

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In the course of an acting career that spanned more than six decadesJames Earl Jones’ voice became an indelible part of his work as an artist.

On screen, Jones, who died on Monday at the age of 93, brought to life a reclusive writer who is brought back into the spotlight in “Field of Dreams” and a haughty king of a fictional country in “Coming to America.” On stage, he won two Tony Awards for “The Great White Hope” and “Fences.” His Work as a voice actor – the regal dignity of his portrayal of Mufasa in The Lion King and the menacing and deep timbre he brought to Darth Vader in Star Wars – helped cement his place as a legendary actor among generations of fans.

But after his death, one aspect of Jones' career has come to light again: his approval of the use of artificial intelligence to recreate his portrayal of Darth Vader after he retired from the role. Skywalker Sound and the Ukrainian company Respeecher used AI to recreate Jones' villain for the 2022 Disney+ series “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Mark Hamill's voice was also “rejuvenated” with Respeecher for his performance as Luke Skywalker in “The Mandalorian.”

Voice actors say they are afraid AI could reduce or job losses because the technology could be used to translate a performance into a range of other movements without their consent – ​​a concern that prompted video game actors from the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to go on strike End of July.

While Jones' decision to have AI mimic his voice raises questions for some about the art of voice acting, it could also help lay the groundwork for transparent AI agreements that compensate an actor fairly for their performance, with their consent. Zeke Alton, a voice actor and member of SAG-AFTRA's Interactive Media Agreements Negotiating Committee, said it was “amazing” that Jones was involved in the process of mimicking his voice.

“If the game companies and movie companies gave every actor the same consent and transparency in compensation that James Earl Jones did, we wouldn't be on strike,” Alton said. “This proves they can do it. They just don't want to do it for people they don't think have the power to negotiate for themselves.”

Hollywood's video game actors announced a work stoppage – their second in a decade – after more than 18 months of negotiations over a new interactive media agreement with the gaming industry giants failed. artificial intelligence Safeguards. Union members have said they are not against AI, but performers are concerned the technology could provide an opportunity for studios to displace them.

Concerns about the use of film studios AI helped with fuel the four-month-long strikes by the film and television union last year.

Jones, who has overcome a stutter as a child, has said in previous interviews that he is “glad to be able to speak at all, because there were times when I couldn't.” His goal, he said, was to make his voice sound clear. Speaking to The Associated Press in 1994, he said he tried to make Darth Vader “more human and more interesting.” But George Lucas, the filmmaker who created “Star Wars,” advised him to “go back to a very narrow range of expression” because the mechanical parts of the villain's body would make it difficult for him to sound more human.

Neither Skywalker Sound nor Respeecher responded to a request for comment. But a Skywalker Sound sound engineer told Vanity Fair that Jones authorized the use of archival recordings to keep Darth Vader alive and that he directed Darth Vader's appearance for the Disney+ show as a “benevolent godfather.”

Voice actor Brock Powell said the ability to use an actor like Jones' voice permanently could eliminate the need for actors who specialize in mimicking voices. That type of work provides steady employment, they said, for many performers who can mimic a famous voice for video games, animated series and other types of media.

“To quote 'Jurassic Park,' scientists were so busy thinking about whether or not they were going to make it that they didn't stop to ask whether we should make it,” Powell said.

This type of AI use could also reduce “ingenuity” in acting, they said, because new actors may not have the chance to step in and breathe new life into a role.

Crispin Freeman, an actor who worked on the voice of Orlando Bloom in Pirates of the Caribbean, said that while the technology could eliminate the need for voice roles, it would not affect “the ability of future artists to forge their own paths in new roles.”

“We have to keep coming up with new stories if we want to move forward, not just rely on the old,” he said. “Instead of worrying, 'Oh, is someone else going to be able to be Darth Vader,' why don't we create a new 'Star Wars' character that's just as compelling as Darth Vader?”

Jones' contract could be an example of how to properly negotiate with an actor about his appearance, said Sarah Elmaleh, chair of SAG-AFTRA's interactive negotiating committee. Elmaleh, a voice actress, said there is an opportunity to use those tools in “meaningful, smart artistic decisions.”

“I worry about a world where we confuse the superficial qualities of a person's voice with their performance,” she said. “I can't help but move away from the metaphor that is embedded in this character itself: When you confuse the human with the machine, you become a tool of other forces, other powers.”

Voice actor Alton wondered what it would mean to continue using Jones' voice as Darth Vader for 100 years when people no longer remembered “all the different things that made him the iconic figure he was.”

“At this point, it's just a disembodied voice. It's part of the neutering of art that generative AI can potentially do, and it's a pretty touchy subject, but it's very important for us as a world to think about what we want our entertainment and our art to look like in the future,” he said. “Do we want it to be human, or do we want it to be boring?”