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Unauthorized "David Attenborough" AI clone narrates developer's life, goes viral

arstechnica.com

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Re: Unauthorized "David Attenborough" AI clone narrates developer's life, goes viral

#121

Post by swayvil »

martinclayton wrote: post #114
seanhunter wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I ask: are we stuck as a monoculture, not making new, interesting things, but simply replicating older ones? I really don't understand how you go from this story to that question. There are two, new, interesting things here: 1. The dev has made something which narrates their life. That's new and interesting 2. David Attenborough actually is still producing new (and amazing) nature documentaries. Planet Earth III ha…

I fear an AI narrating my life would be less Attenborough and more Sir Robin's minstrels in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail".

Sick reference, bro. Your references are out of control. Everyone knows that.

Re: Unauthorized "David Attenborough" AI clone narrates developer's life, goes viral

#122

Post by JKCalhoun »

mechhacker wrote: post #56

When I see a lot of this voice replication I am reminded of something. (Dune series spoiler) For example, Duncan Idaho keeps being brought back with cloning tech, over and over, for centuries, because Leto II just likes him. Over and over, the same man keeps being put by the (nearly) immortal emperor's side... I ask: are we stuck as a monoculture, not making new, interesting things, but simply replicating older ones?…

> I ask: are we stuck as a monoculture, not making new, interesting things, but simply replicating older ones?

I think culturally we've done things like this many times in the past. It's why periods are described as neo, as in neoclassical.

Eventually artists pull us in a new direction and we're willing to follow because we too have become tired of the old.

Re: Unauthorized "David Attenborough" AI clone narrates developer's life, goes viral

#123

Post by no_time »

belugacat wrote: post #8

Right now this requires API tokens and being dependent on third party companies that will cut off your access if they decide they don’t like you. The moment these models can run locally on the kind of cheap hardware that phone scam operations have will be the real Pandora’s box moment. (I give it 3-5 years or so)

I just can't get excited over most trending submissions here on HN for the exact same reason over the last 2 years. This current advancement of AI doesn't feel like such a "new frontier" as other advancements in tech at their early adopter phase. The internet (the closest tech invention of similar magnitude imo) had an atleast decade long "wild west" before all the big players we know entrenched themselves with monopolies and legislation.

With AI we barely begun and yet the cards are already dealt.

Re: Unauthorized "David Attenborough" AI clone narrates developer's life, goes viral

#124

Post by Tallain »

mechhacker wrote: post #56

When I see a lot of this voice replication I am reminded of something. (Dune series spoiler) For example, Duncan Idaho keeps being brought back with cloning tech, over and over, for centuries, because Leto II just likes him. Over and over, the same man keeps being put by the (nearly) immortal emperor's side... I ask: are we stuck as a monoculture, not making new, interesting things, but simply replicating older ones?…

> I ask: are we stuck as a monoculture, not making new, interesting things, but simply replicating older ones?

Probably, but I hope not (or at least not for long).

I think it's normal for people to want to retell stories (see the way we pass jokes around like viruses, or the oral tradition, or the million "re-imaginings" of classics). I also think that inclination has been weaponized and turned against us. Producers -- movie, music, or other -- push or are pushed to maximize gain while minimizing risk. And what feels better than nostalgia? What feels better than a story that doesn't challenge you, doesn't prompt any sort of introspection, or hell, any inspection at all?

I think it's a symptom of the push for profit over all else. I do think we ache for new things, but the ship of monoculture is a big one and takes a long time to steer. A lot of momentum is behind where we're at and it's going to take a lot to get away.

Re: Unauthorized "David Attenborough" AI clone narrates developer's life, goes viral

#127

Post by perihelions »

Did Dante get authorization to clone Virgil's likeness—to put words in his mouth, and send him to hell to narrate the damnation of Christian popes?

How would one distinguish the two? To me, this is all just a continuation of human storytelling tradition in different media.

Re: Unauthorized "David Attenborough" AI clone narrates developer's life, goes viral

#128

Post by make3 »

mechhacker wrote: post #56

When I see a lot of this voice replication I am reminded of something. (Dune series spoiler) For example, Duncan Idaho keeps being brought back with cloning tech, over and over, for centuries, because Leto II just likes him. Over and over, the same man keeps being put by the (nearly) immortal emperor's side... I ask: are we stuck as a monoculture, not making new, interesting things, but simply replicating older ones?…

there like literally infinite amounts of new culture

Re: Unauthorized "David Attenborough" AI clone narrates developer's life, goes viral

#129

Post by gwd »

perihelions wrote: post #127

Did Dante get authorization to clone Virgil's likeness—to put words in his mouth, and send him to hell to narrate the damnation of Christian popes? How would one distinguish the two? To me, this is all just a continuation of human storytelling tradition in different media.

You're correct that this "creative re-application of cultural standards", along the lines of Dante / Virgil, is what's going on here.

There are some key differences. For one thing, Virgil and everyone who knew him personally had been dead for 1500 years, while David Attenborough is still alive, and those who know him personally will live for another 50 years. For another, it was absolutely clear to everyone that Virgil didn't actually say the things Dante put in his mouth; whereas as deepfakes improve, it will be more likely that people think David Attenborough actually did say whatever has been put into his mouth with a deepfake.

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