Hank Azaria Fears AI Will Replace His Voice

Hank Azaria has voiced his concerns about artificial intelligence potentially taking over his iconic roles in The Simpsons, a show he has been a part of since 1989. Azaria, whose versatile range has brought to life numerous characters including Moe Szyslak and Chief Wiggum, addressed these fears in an interview with The New York Times. With nearly four decades of voice acting experience, he understands that AI technology has vast amounts of material from which it can learn.

In his candid remarks, Azaria stated, “I imagine that soon enough, artificial intelligence will be able to recreate the sounds of the more than 100 voices I created for characters on ‘The Simpsons’ over almost four decades. It makes me sad to think about it. Not to mention, it seems just plain wrong to steal my likeness or sound — or anyone else’s.” He elaborated on how AI could easily access a wealth of his voice recordings as Moe, the perpetually disgruntled bartender who has been a feature in almost every episode.

While acknowledging that AI could replicate his sound, Azaria holds on to the belief that it could never fully embody the depth and nuance of human performance. He hopes that there will remain an irreplaceable element of “humanness” in voice acting. He expressed, “There’s so much of who I am that goes into creating a voice. How can the computer conjure all that? What will the lack of humanness sound like?”

Despite his concerns, Azaria remains optimistic that there will be a discernible difference between AI-generated performances and those delivered by human actors. He reasons that craftsmanship—spanning storytelling, performances, directing, and other elements—contributes to making a production believable. “It adds up to a sense that what we’re watching isn’t real, and you don’t need to pay attention to it,” he concluded.

Currently, The Simpsons is broadcasting its 36th season on Fox and is also available for streaming on Disney+. Beyond his work on The Simpsons, Azaria has lent his voice to various animated series, including Family Guy, Futurama, and Spider-Man: The Animated Series, showcasing his significant impact on the realm of animated entertainment.