Fans of legendary sportscaster Al Michaels are expressing outrage over NBC’s recent announcement to use artificial intelligence (AI) to generate personalized daily recaps of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The feature, dubbed “Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock,” will employ generative AI and AI voice synthesis technology to recreate Michaels’ iconic voice, delivering tailored highlights to viewers based on their preferences.
NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, will offer this innovative feature, which aims to provide a unique, personalized experience for Olympic fans. The recaps will include clips from NBCU’s extensive coverage of the Games, with the AI-generated voice of Michaels narrating the highlights. The technology will pull from hundreds of NBC Sports-produced clips each day to create a 10-minute playlist of the most relevant moments for each user.
John Jelley, senior vice president of product and user experience at Peacock, emphasized the scale of the Olympics as a perfect opportunity to deploy this technology. “It would be impossible to deliver a personalized experience with a legendary sportscaster to millions of fans without it,” Jelley said. The Paris Games will feature 32 sports and over 300 medal events, making it a massive undertaking for any broadcaster.
Al Michaels, who is known for his memorable call of the U.S. hockey team’s upset over the USSR in the 1980 Winter Olympics, expressed mixed feelings about the project. “This was born of curiosity because I’m a very curious person,” Michaels said. “I was approached about this project and didn’t really understand too much about it. Believe me, I am no techie by any stretch of the imagination, but I know that, ready or not, here comes artificial intelligence.”
Michaels acknowledged the potential benefits of AI, such as advancing medical research and understanding diseases. However, he also voiced concerns about the technology’s implications for misinformation and job displacement. “People are being thrown curveballs,” he said. “Can this be manipulated to the point where people are getting either catfished or gaslighted?” He also noted the anxieties of his friends in Hollywood, who fear AI could threaten their livelihoods.
Despite his reservations, Michaels decided to participate in the project after seeing a demonstration of the technology. “When I was approached about this, I was skeptical but obviously curious,” he said. “Then I saw a demonstration detailing what they had in mind. I said, ‘I’m in.'”
The initiative was unveiled during a nearly two-hour showcase at NBCUniversal’s headquarters, where Comcast President and NBCU boss Mike Cavanagh highlighted the company’s commitment to innovation. “We like to raise the bar and bring it all together, to try to take this every time to the next level,” Cavanagh said.
However, the use of AI in entertainment has been a contentious issue, particularly in light of recent labor disputes involving the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). Both guilds have expressed concerns about the impact of AI on their industries, leading to agreements with studios and streamers to address these issues.
Kelly Campbell, President of Peacock and Direct-to-Consumer at NBCUniversal, emphasized the importance of balancing technology with human creativity. “Generative AI is obviously evolving rapidly,” she said. “We’ll continue to follow these developments closely and explore the latest advancements to make sure we deliver the best possible experience for Peacock customers.”
The daily recaps will be available to Peacock subscribers starting July 27, accessible on all supported web browsers and the Peacock app on select mobile and tablet devices. Users can opt into receiving push and in-app notifications to remind them to watch their recaps. Each user can customize their experience by selecting their favorite sports and preferred topics, such as behind-the-scenes stories, top competitions, and viral moments.
Despite the excitement surrounding the new feature, many fans are concerned about the potential implications for the future of sports broadcasting. The AI-generated voice of Michaels, while impressive, raises questions about the role of human broadcasters in an increasingly automated industry. Michaels himself acknowledged this, saying, “I just sat there and thought, In the next life, I’m going to need a new profession.”
For now, Michaels views the project as a way to stay connected to the Olympic Games, which he has always loved. “Even though it’s an odd way to transition to something—not calling the events, not really recording anything—it does keep me somewhat attached to the Olympic Games,” he said.
As the technology continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how AI will shape the future of sports broadcasting and other industries. For now, fans will have to decide whether they embrace this new era of personalized, AI-driven content or continue to value the human touch that has defined sports commentary for decades.
Source: TVLine, Deadline
