Do You Believe in Computer Generated Miracles? NBC to Use AI-Generated Al Michaels Commentary in Olympic Coverage

Takuya Matsumoto/AP

Peacock subscribers will soon be able to listen to personalized Olympic recaps featuring AI-generated commentary from legendary announcer Al Michaels.

NBC on Wednesday announced the feature, which will be available on the Peacock app starting July 27, to provide daily recaps based on the user’s specific tastes. After the user gives their name and up to three different sports in which they’re interested, the computer-generated Michaels will address the user directly before giving commentary on some of the biggest happenings in the chosen sports.

To recreate Michaels’ voice, the program was trained using his previous work on NBC to match “his signature expertise and elocution.” Additionally, a team of editors will review the nearly 7 million variants before they go live for “quality assurance and accuracy.”

“When I was approached about this, I was skeptical but obviously curious,” Michaels in the company’s press release. “Then I saw a demonstration detailing what they had in mind. I said, ‘I’m in.'”

A brief demo was also included in the release.

Titled “Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock,” the 10-minute highlight reel will include the user’s chosen sports and preferred topics — including “behind-the-scenes and backstories, top competition, viral and trending moments, and a spotlight on international teams.” It will be available for up to six users per account.