Zelda Williams, the daughter of the late actor Robin Williams, has expressed her concern about the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the film industry, particularly when used to recreate the voices of deceased actors.
In a recent Instagram post, Williams wrote that she finds the use of AI to recreate her father’s voice “disturbing.” She also voiced her support for the ongoing writers’ strike, which includes demands for protections against the use of AI in the entertainment industry.
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Williams’ comments come in the wake of an agreement reached between the Writers Guild of America and the studios, which includes provisions to protect writers from the use of AI in screenwriting. However, the Hollywood strike continues, with actors demanding higher wages and other benefits, as well as protections against AI.
In a separate development, it was announced that Robin Williams will posthumously appear in the new Disney short film ‘Once Upon A Studio’ (2023), playing his character from Aladdin, the Genie of the Lamp. Josh Gad, the voice of Olaf in Disney’s ‘Frozen’ (2013), has confirmed that the short film will incorporate “previously unreleased dialogue” recorded by Williams before his death, with the permission of his estate.
Gad has defended the use of AI in the short film, saying that it would never have happened without the consent of Williams’ estate. He also expressed his love for Williams and said that he would never do anything that was not “with all of the proper sign-off and support.”
