It was 7 a.m. when Benjamin Perkin's parents got an alarming call. The person on the other end of the line identified themselves as a lawyer and said Perkin had killed a U.S. diplomat in a car accident, was in jail, and needed money for legal fees. The lawyer then put Perkin on the phone. "Hey Mom and Dad, I love you. I need this money," he said.

Top Gun: Maverick has proven to be a massive success for Tom Cruise, Paramount Pictures, and everyone involved. If you've watched the movie by now, you'll probably agree with most of us that it's an excellent follow-up to the original film from 1986. What you might not know is that Val Kilmer's voice in the movie was brought to life with voice AI. When the original Top Gun was released in 1986, Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise's chemistry on-screen as Iceman and Maverick was an instant hit. Revisiting that story without Kilmer's Iceman would have been disappointing for many fans and even for Kilmer himself.

Thanks to more the 750,000 readers and supporters of this newsletter. I hope that you enjoy the latest AI news and insights, make sure to check the Web3 section at the end! [BGR] Val Kilmer’s Top Gun: Maverick dialog was all AI since he can no longer speak: Thanks to a special voice AI program, Kilm

After first starring as Lieutenant Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in the 1986 film "Top Gun," Val Kilmer made his triumphant return, 36 years later, in the sequel "Top Gun: Maverick." In the 2022 film, he now plays an admiral. Kilmer, 62, was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 according to The New York Times Magazine. After going through several treatments, including a tracheotomy, he lost his voice, the outlet reports. Kilmer publicly confirmed his diagnosis in 2017 after denying reports of his illness.

Scientists helped Kilmer reprise his iconic role as 'Iceman' after he suffered irreparable damage to his voice through throat cancer in 2014.

How Top Gun: Maverick Star Val Kilmer Was Able To Speak Again With the Help of Artificial Intelligence.

Val Kilmer, the star of movies as wide-ranging as Top Gun, Batman Forever, Heat, and The Prince of Egypt, withdrew from the public eye following a throat cancer diagnosis and two tracheotomies which left his ability to express himself vocally severely impaired. He now speaks using a voice box. "Speaking, once my joy and lifeblood, has become an hourly struggle," Kilmer wrote in his 2020 memoir I'm Your Huckleberry, describing his voice as "Marlon Brando after a couple of bottles of tequila. But now, fans of the actor are able to once again hear his voice. Kilmer--who is returning to the big screen in the long-awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick later this year--has partnered with tech company Sonantic to generate a version of his speech using artificial intelligence, based on existing footage and recordings of his voice. "We all have the capacity to be creative," Kilmer says in the video below. "We are all driven to share our deepest dreams and ideas with the world.

The voice engine derives meaning from the written words and can use these cues to "illustrate intense anger and emotional pain," according to a statement. In April, Sonantic showed how the audio service can convey couples in the throes of a heated argument. In that demo, two voices have an ordinary conversation that quickly escalates into a shouting match. In real life, the scenario would preserve "actors' vocal cords" and allow "them to earn passive income," the company said in a release.

The voice engine derives meaning from the written words and can use these cues to "illustrate intense anger and emotional pain" according to a statement. In April, Sonantic showed how the audio service can convey couples in the throes of a heated argument. In that demo, two voices have an ordinary conversation which quickly escalates into a shouting match. In real life, the scenario would preserve "actors' vocal cords" and allow "them to earn passive income," the company said in a release.

A British artificial intelligence (AI) company has recreated Hollywood actor Val Kilmer's voice – with amazingly realistic results. London-based firm Sonantic used the actor's voice recordings from throughout his career, which were fed to their AI to create the lifelike yet artificial mock-up. Film producers could potentially use the tool – described as'Photoshop for voice' – for voiceovers if they have a role in mind that would be suited to Kilmer's tones. Kilmer, whose career has spanned nearly four decades, has starred in blockbusters such as Top Gun, Willow, The Doors, Tombstone and Batman Forever. But after undergoing a tracheotomy in 2014 as part of his treatment for throat cancer, Kilmer's voice is now barely recognisable.