Although Jerry Garcia passed away in 1995, his voice has been revived through artificial intelligence technology. Recently, AI development company ElevenLabs partnered with the Garcia family to bring the voice of this legendary rock band's "Grateful Dead" frontman back into the public eye. This new application, called ElevenReader, allows users to hear Garcia's voice reading emails, books, and various text content.
The ElevenReader application is a streaming platform that combines an e-reader with audiobooks, where users can listen to the voices of several historical figures, including Garcia. In addition to Jerry Garcia, the app features the voices of well-known personalities such as James Dean, Judy Garland, John Wayne, and Burt Reynolds, creating a novel immersive reading experience.
Regarding this technology, historian Dennis McNally, who served as a publicist for the "Grateful Dead," stated that he has heard the AI-generated voice of Garcia and found it very similar. He said, "I can't imagine what he would think of this." McNally is the author of "A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead" and the editor of "Jerry's Jerry: The Unpublished Jerry Garcia Interviews."
ElevenLabs also noted that the ElevenReader application is beneficial for visually impaired individuals or those with learning disabilities. As technology continues to advance, more companies are working to create realistic AI voices. Last year, game company CD Projekt Red collaborated with Ukrainian voice AI tool developer Respeecher to recreate the voice of a deceased Polish actor.
However, mental health experts have expressed concerns about AI conversations with historical figures, suggesting that this may lead to unrealistic expectations in users' real-life interpersonal relationships. Sandra Kushnier, CEO of Meridian Consulting in California, pointed out that relying on AI for social interaction could weaken individuals' social skills and may lead to avoidance of real relationships.
Dustin Blank, head of partnerships at ElevenLabs, emphasized that the purpose of recreating Garcia's voice is to enhance users' reading and listening experiences, not to replace the real Jerry Garcia with AI. He stated that this technology is a recreation of Garcia's voice, not a substitute for him.
Key Points:
🎤 Garcia's voice has been recreated through AI technology in the ElevenReader app, allowing users to hear him read various texts.
📚 This app also includes the voices of other historical figures, aiming to provide users with a novel immersive reading experience.
⚠️ Mental health experts warn that reliance on AI for interaction with historical figures may affect the handling of real-life interpersonal relationships.