Warner Music intends to utilize artificial intelligence to replicate the voice and image of the renowned French artist and singer Edith Piaf, nearly six decades after her passing, as announced by the company on Tuesday.
This initiative is part of the production process for the documentary “Edith,” focusing on Piaf’s life.
While Hollywood grapples with concerns surrounding AI, details about this undertaking have emerged. This topic was a significant point of contention during recent strikes involving writers and actors, with debates between unions and studios regarding the appropriate utilization of this technology.
For professionals involved in the creation of animated films, AI presents a particularly delicate issue. According to Jeffrey Katzenberg, a former Disney executive and co-founder of DreamWorks, AI has substantially reduced the labor required to produce animated movies.
Katzenberg remarked, “In the past, creating a high-quality animated film involved 500 artists working for five years. I believe that with AI, this process could be accomplished with only 10% of that effort and time over the next three years.”
To “resurrect” the late singer for the 90-minute film, which is slated to unfold in Paris and New York spanning the period from the 1920s to the 1960s, Warner Music stated that AI systems will be trained using “hundreds of speech videos and images.” The recreated voice of Piaf through AI will narrate the biopic, while animation will offer a modern interpretation of her life story.
Warner Music clarified that the film is currently in the conceptual stage. The company disclosed its plans to collaborate with a production team to bring this full-length feature to fruition. As of now, no specific release date has been confirmed, according to a representative from Warner Music as reported by CNBC.
The technology employed in this project has evoked a sense of being in the presence of Edith once again, as expressed by Piaf’s estate representatives in a press statement. They remarked, “It has been an incredibly moving and singular experience to hear her voice resonate once more. The visuals are captivating, and this film will offer a glimpse into Edith’s authentic self.”
Notably, Piaf was recently portrayed in the 2007 film “La Vie en Rose,” where Marion Cotillard portrayed the iconic singer and earned an Academy Award for her performance.
CNBC reached out to the Animation Guild, a union representing professionals in the graphics industry, but did not receive an immediate response.
