Nearly 30 years after his death, we can now listen to a new bedtime story read by the late Jimmy Stewart, all thanks to the power of generative AI.
Stewart famously starred in “It’s A Wonderful Life,” bringing joy to countless people around the holiday season. In a new installment of their ‘Sleep Stories,’ software company Calm has used the late actor’s voice, with the blessing of his family and estate, to craft “It’s A Wonderful Sleep Story” to help people relax before bed.
“We are excited for our Dad to be the voice of Calm’s latest Sleep Story,” said Kelly Stewart Harcourt said to CNN. “It’s amazing what technology can do and wonderful to see Dad’s legacy live on this holiday season in new ways, like helping people find restful sleep and sweet dreams.”
WATCH: Kiss finishes farewell tour, reveals new life as digital avatars
To create the voice likeness of Stewart, AI voice company Respeecher trained the technology on existing footage of the actor’s speech. A voice actor then read the new story, with Respeecher combining that audio with that of the AI model. The result is a bedtime story that carries all of Stewart’s distinct voice and vocal mannerisms.
Calm subscribers can listen to It’s A Wonderful Sleep Story via their app and website.
