A new audiobook edition of the ‘Odyssey’ has been released, featuring the voice of British actor Michael Caine. However, Caine did not actually narrate the audiobook. Instead, his voice was cloned using artificial intelligence (AI) technology by the company ElevenLabs.
AI-Generated Narration
The ‘Odyssey’ is an epic poem that was composed to be recited by performers. The AI-generated narration features Caine’s voice clone, as well as a supporting cast of 20 different AI voices, layered with AI-generated sound effects and a musical score. The production was put together in just over six weeks.
The project is meant to showcase the creative potential of voice clones and AI narration. ElevenLabs executives say that the company uses AI narration mostly to create audiobooks for titles that probably wouldn’t have otherwise gotten audio editions.
Reception and Controversy
Some listeners may find it unsettling to hear an oral masterpiece from ancient Greece recounted by AI-generated voices. Scholars and translators have mixed feelings about whether an AI narration can do justice to Homer’s poetic lines. Translator Emily Wilson worries that synthetic voices can’t re-create the emotional nuances of the text.
On the other hand, some see the potential for AI to draw new audiences to the ‘Odyssey’. The audiobook is available for free on the company’s ElevenReader platform, and it may attract people who are curious to hear an AI Michael Caine.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
