Next year marks the 30th anniversary of Jerry Garcia’s death. But a new AI initiative, as well as the programs it could produce, aims to keep the Grateful Dead leader alive.
This summer, ElevenLabs, a two-year-old software company known for its advanced and realistic voice AI tools, announced a free app that allows fans of Judy Garland, Maya Angelou, Burt Reynolds, James Dean, and Sir Laurence Olivier to listen to AI-created versions of their voices read books, articles, poems, and other content. As of this week, Garcia became the newest – and first music-related member – of what the company calls its “Featured Voices” program.
Using the ElevenLabs reader app, Deadheads can listen to an AI-generated version of Garcia’s voice read to them, with 32 different languages to boot. (Imagine Garcia wading into Tom Wolfe’s house, for example Kool-Aid acid test“We felt he represented a certain time and era of a certain type of music, and his sound is distinctive and different from what we already have on the platform,” says Dustin Blank, head of the project. From the partnerships at ElevenLabs. “I feel like it adds a deeper layer to certain types of text.”
According to Tina Xavie, whose agency Xavie works with Garcia’s estate (among others) on trademark and licensing projects, the AI project is a natural extension of Garcia’s appeal. She states: “Jerry cherishes connecting with his fans,” she says. “It’s a gift to his fans, a chance to hear his voice and feel connected to him.” But like Blank, she also sees it as a way to introduce Garcia to anyone born after the singer-guitarist’s death. Says Chaffee: “We’ve noticed a strong interest in AI among younger generations,” says Chaffee. “To connect Jerry’s legacy to this demographic, we’re leveraging AI technology to make his voice accessible. By using his voice to read a book, or send a personalized message, we hope to introduce him to a new generation of fans.
When ElevenLabs first approached Garcia’s estate, Blank acknowledged that the novelty of AI technology required some explaining and convincing. He states: “They had to understand what we were trying to accomplish and what kind of firewalls were in place.”
Xavi says: “While we weren’t overly concerned, we were cautious about the potential for misuse of the technology.” “We wanted to make sure that Jerry’s voice wasn’t used to create content that didn’t align with his personality or beliefs, or that might harm fans.” Blank says the company has a “profanity filter and a filter where you can’t create text that would cause self-harm or child endangerment.” In addition, content can only be streamed.
According to Xavie, all members of the Garcia family approved the deal, but the Jerry Garcia Foundation, headed by Garcia’s youngest daughter Keelin, spearheaded the project. Keelin Garcia said in a statement: “My father was a pioneering artist who embraced innovative audio and visual technologies,” Keelin Garcia said in a statement. “Jerry was a visionary, an adventurer and a technophile, and ElevenLabs has the best text-to-speech technology that sets the standard for AI talent,” Xavie adds.
Blank says that Garcia’s voice demo for the app went through 30 different iterations before the company felt it had succeeded. But Blank explains that the goal wasn’t to make anyone feel as if Garcia himself was reading the words. And he says: “We’re very clear that these are AI narrators that aim to add a different or unique experience to that piece of content,” he says. “We want people to enjoy content that looks like a person, or is a recreated person, but is No. Hmm. “There’s a difference here, just like when Jerry’s face is on the shirt, you don’t want people to think it’s actually him on the shirt.”
When Garcia’s audio tool was announced this week, the Garcia Foundation hinted that it could be used for audio artwork or narrated documentaries. Without going into detail, Xavie feels the possibilities are as limitless as the particularly long “Dark Star” movie. She cites “supporting immersive concert experiences, enabling virtual performances, creating interactive experiences for fans, and even facilitating virtual meet-ups at charity events, which the foundation does a lot.”
Given Deadheads’ passion, it’s not surprising that the community’s reaction to AI news has ranged from open curiosity to extreme skepticism. Says Blank: “People have different views,” says Blank. “They can vote if they like it or not with their own button. No one is forcing anyone to listen to it. But for people who enjoy it and want to interact with it more, it’s there for them.”
“I respect all Deadheads’ opinions,” says Xavie. “As an agent, it’s my job to be skeptical and think of all angles for Jerry. I think we all share a deep love for Jerry and his impact on rock ‘n’ roll. While we may not agree on everything, I hope we can unite in our appreciation of his legacy. If you find this AI program inappropriate, please continue to follow along, as we are excited to continue creating programs that honor Jerry and bring joy to the fans.