Again in 2023, Robin Williams’s daughter, Zelda, passionately spoke out towards the “disturbing” concept of synthetic intelligence getting used to recreate her late dad’s voice, with the massively beloved actor dying by suicide in 2014 at age 63.
Robin was famously very protecting of the usage of his voice work in life, and even feuded with Disney after they used his Aladdin character, the Genie, to promote merchandise. The feud was so dramatic that Robin didn’t return for the animated film’s sequel, and Homer Simpson voice actor, Dan Castellaneta, was solid to switch him because the Genie as a substitute. Robin did return for the third film, Aladdin and the King of Thieves, two years later.
And Zelda advocated for her father in an announcement that was issued in assist of the Writers Guild of America and the Display Actors Guild’s combat towards AI two years in the past. She wrote on the time: “I’m not an neutral voice within the SAG’s combat towards AI. I’ve witnessed for YEARS how many individuals wish to prepare these fashions to create/ recreate actors who can not consent, like Dad.”
And this is the reason folks have been left so mad at Matthew Lawrence — who labored with Robin as a baby star — after he just lately doubled down on his want to use AI to do “one thing actually particular” in Robin’s reminiscence.
For reference, Matthew was 12 years outdated when he performed Robin’s son Chris within the 1993 film Mrs. Doubtfire. He was already a fairly established baby actor by the point that he landed the position, however he has all the time been extremely open about how influential working with Robin on this movie was for him.
In a separate interview with Leisure Weekly, Matthew shared: “I did not fairly notice it on the time, however that second there on set of Mrs. Doubtfire, that these six to eight months have been the most important studying curve anybody can get on the subject of making films and being an entertainer.”
“After which on prime of that, you get an opportunity to be round Robin Williams, and he takes an funding in you, as he does with folks. However particularly, he actually took an funding with me,” he went on. “He actually quantified what it was to be an actual artist for me within the sense that he was undoubtedly, and I labored with some nice folks, and he was undoubtedly probably the most sensible artist I’ve ever labored with.”
And Matthew doubled down on his concept to make use of AI to carry Robin’s voice again to the plenty throughout his look in Leisure Weekly’s Comedian-Con video suite on Friday — and it didn’t go down nicely with followers.
However this concept sparked immediate criticism on social media, with one massively viral tweet responding to Matthew’s quotes merely studying: “Inform him to fuck off.”
Others referenced Zelda’s previous feedback, with one particular person sharing a screenshot of a information article about her quotes and writing: “Yeah, I doubt Matthew Lawrence goes to get that permission…”
What do you make of Matthew’s feedback? Let me know down beneath!