Celia Cruz's Voice Revives With Artificial Intelligence; Her Legacy Will Be Protected

The iconic voice of Cuban singer Celia Cruz has been brought back to life through artificial intelligence, making her the first Latin artist to have her voice recreated by this technology. The AI-generated voice will be exclusively used for projects that are in harmony with her legacy and the values she championed during her life, particularly in uplifting Hispanic culture, explained Omer Pardillo, the executor of her estate.

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The purpose is that Celia's voice and legacy remain relevant and accessible for future generations.

Pardillo detailed that the primary goal is to preserve Celia Cruz's legacy and make it accessible to new generations without relinquishing control over the use of her image and voice. "The purpose is that Celia's voice and legacy remain relevant and accessible for future generations," he stated. The AI voice has been created and registered, but its application will be subject to strict oversight by the estate of the artist, who was born in Havana in 1925.

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It's not that everyone will have access and take Celia's voice and do whatever they want, no. This is a very limited process.

"It's not that everyone will have access and take Celia's voice and do whatever they want, no. This is a very limited process," Pardillo assured. He clarified that each proposal will be meticulously analyzed before authorization is granted. "I have to be very careful because I don't want Celia's voice to be used for things she wouldn't have wanted. Whenever I'm going to start a project, I think three times: Would she have liked it or not?" he emphasized.

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I have to be very careful because I don't want Celia's voice to be used for things she wouldn't have wanted. Whenever I'm going to start a project, I think three times: Would she have liked it or not?

Pardillo, who worked with Cruz since he was 17, revealed that the project was handled by ElevenLabs, a company that had previously simulated the voice of American poet Maya Angelou. This connection, he mentioned, helped alleviate his initial doubts about employing such technology. He firmly dismissed the idea of using the AI voice for political campaigns, stating, "I would never use it for anything political, any campaign or anything." Instead, he believes the tool can be valuable for disseminating the history of Latin music and for answering questions using statements the singer made during her lifetime.

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I would never use it for anything political, any campaign or anything.