Al Michaels

On Wednesday, NBC announced plans to use an AI-generated clone of famous sports commentator Al Michaels' voice to narrate daily streaming video recaps of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, which start on July 26. 

The AI-powered narration will feature in "Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock," NBC's streaming service. 

But this new, high-profile use of voice cloning worries critics, who say the technology may muscle out upcoming sports commentators by keeping old personas around forever. 

Michaels, who is 79 years old, shared his initial skepticism about the project in an interview with Vanity Fair, as NBC News notes. After hearing the AI version of his voice, which can greet viewers by name, he described the experience as "astonishing" and "a little bit frightening." He said the AI recreation was "almost 2% off perfect" in mimicking his style.

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