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AI-replicated Sir Michael Parkinson is poised to host a new podcast consisting of fully unscripted talks with celebrities.
According to Deep Fusion Films, Virtually Parkinson is a world-first podcast created with the support and involvement of Parkinson's family and estate.
Parkinson, who was most known for his interviews with the world's biggest entertainers, died last year at the age of 88 after a brief illness.
The eight-part show will utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to synthetically reproduce the late presenter's voice and interview style, drawing from a library of over 2,000 interviews.
The "Squark" technology, which incorporates AI capabilities, allows live individuals to communicate with voices from the past.
Calling it "a tribute to my Dad," Parkinson's son, Mike Parkinson, reached out to the company with the idea of creating the podcast, as a way to preserve his father's legacy.
He said: "I want audiences to marvel at the technology, the cleverness and cheekiness of the concept, but mostly I want them to remember just how good he was at interviewing and enjoy the nostalgia and happy memories.
"Through this platform, his legacy can continue, entertaining a new generation of fans."
Deep Fusion Films co-founder Jamie Anderson described Parkinson's son's reaction to hearing his late father's voice as "something really special," and those who heard the AI replication were "wowed" by its accuracy and tenderness.
The company has grown to accommodate the initiative, adding a new head of creative AI, an AI prompt engineer, researchers, guest bookers, podcast producers, and a sound engineer.
