‘The Simpsons’ Actor Hank Azaria Predicts AI Will Replace Him Soon: “Seems Just Plain Wrong”

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Hank Azaria, the voice actor for The Simpsons, expresses worries about possibly being replaced by artificial intelligence.

In a heartfelt article I recently penned for The New York Times, I – the voice behind numerous characters spanning over four decades across films and television series, such as Moe the bartender, Chief Wiggum, and Comic Book Guy from the ever-popular animated comedy show, expressed my concerns.

He expressed that in the near future, AI could likely replicate the voices of the over 100 characters he created for ‘The Simpsons’ across nearly four decades. This thought brings a sense of melancholy to him. Moreover, it feels unjust to misuse someone else’s likeness or voice, including his own.”

(This version retains the original meaning while using more natural and conversational language.)

The actor from “Brockmire” went on to say, “For me, an AI could potentially tap into 36 years’ worth of Moe, the chronic complainant who’s featured in almost every episode of “The Simpsons”. He’s experienced fear, love, been physically hurt, and most frequently, seething with resentment. I’ve found humor in various forms as Moe on numerous occasions. I’d estimate that I’ve sighed as Moe about a hundred times. In terms of AI training, that’s quite a wealth of material to draw from.

Azaria further emphasized that beyond merely the sounds, there’s a significant contribution from our physical selves and emotions when bringing a character to voice, with improvisation also playing an integral part.

He expressed his thoughts as follows: “It’d be fascinating to consider that regardless of how closely an AI imitates Moe, Snake, or Chief Wiggum’s voice using mine, there will always be something lacking – the essence of being human.” He continued, “So much of my identity is woven into creating a voice. How can a machine capture all that complexity?

The actor from “Hello Tomorrow!” pondered later on, “What might an absence of human qualities sound like? How pronounced will this difference be? Frankly, I’m unsure, but I believe it will be distinct enough, at least for the short term, that we would notice something seems out of place, much like how we can tell a poor quality movie or TV show isn’t quite right.

As a captivated viewer, I found myself in a peculiar state where the scenes seemed almost unreal. It’s not something you should ignore, but rather let it pass by. The illusion of reality is crafted through skillful storytelling, convincing performances, excellent cinematography, competent direction, a well-written script, and fitting music. Believability is painstakingly earned, not given.

Apart from Azaria’s notable roles in “Family Guy,” “Mack & Moxy,” “Bordertown,” and “Futurama,” she has also lent her voice to characters on “Spider-Man: The Animated Series” and other animated series as well.

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2025-02-07 04:54