New Anthony Bourdain Documentary Sparks Controversy for ‘Creepy’ A.I. Rendering of Late Chef’s Voice: ‘Crosses an Ethical Line’

Natalie KorachJul 15th, 2021, 4:00 pm
 

(Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain releasing in theaters on July 16th, is not only raising eyebrows for the portrayal of late TV star Anthony Bourdain, but also for the practices utilized by the documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville.

The documentary comes three years after Bourdain passed away by suicide, in 2018. Neville — having never met Bourdain prior to his passing, —used content from archival audio and video, as well as, innovative A.I. technology to recreate Bourdain’s voice.

Neville spoke with The New Yorker’s Helen Rosner about the documentary and disclosed that he, “created an A.I. model,” of Bourdain’s voice in order to supplement quotes of which, “there were no recordings of.”

“If you watch the film…” Neville continued, “you probably don’t know what the other lines are that were spoken by the A.I., and you’re not going to know.”

“We can have a documentary-ethics panel about it later,” quipped Neville.

The utilization of A.I. voice technology featured in the soon-to-be released documentary has sparked controversy across social media, with many questioning the ethics of the film and voicing concerns over the application of the technology.

 

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