NBC Utilizes Artificial Intelligence to Recreate Al Michaels’ Voice for 2024 Paris Olympics

The AI-generated voice will provide customized Olympic recaps for Peacock subscribers during the Games.

Yoan Valat/Pool Photo via AP
The French fencing team at the Grand Palais ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Yoan Valat/Pool Photo via AP

NBC is set to bring sportscaster Al Michaels back for the 2024 Paris Olympics, but with a twist.

This year, the network will use generative artificial intelligence to recreate Mr. Michaels’ iconic voice. The AI-generated voice will provide customized Olympic recaps for Peacock subscribers during the Games, the Hollywood Reporter writes.

At a press event held at Studio 8H in NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Center headquarters, the company announced the new offering, which it is calling “Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock.” This feature will present users with highly customized highlight playlists, narrated by Mr. Michaels — or at least by an AI voice that closely mimics the sportscaster.

The personalized experience includes Mr. Michaels greeting users by name and highlighting sports specific to their interests. Users can further customize the highlights to focus on viral moments, athlete backstories, or other categories, with each package running approximately 10 minutes.

“When I was approached about this, I was skeptical but obviously curious,” Mr. Michaels told The Reporter. “Then I saw a demonstration detailing what they had in mind. I said, ‘I’m in.’”

Mr. Michaels has been part of NBC’s Olympics coverage since 2010 and has previously worked as the lead play-by-play announcer for NBC Sunday Night Football. He currently works in the booth for Amazon’s Thursday Night Football.

To address concerns around the accuracy and context of generative AI, a team of NBC Sports editors will review all the content before it is added to the recaps. This review process includes checking the pronunciation and intonation of names and events, which adds a layer of protection against potential errors, the Reporter wrote.


The New York Sun

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