Nearly 40 years after his death, Orson Welles is back — as a disembodied AI-generated voice in location-based storytelling app Storyrabbit.
Storyrabbit, from podcast company Treefort Media, inked a partnership with the Orson Welles Estate to launch “Orson Welles Presents.” The app now features the unmistakable voice of Welles, digitally re-created using Storyrabbit’s AI technology, as an option for users to hear stories about specific locations. Using the Welles voice is free in the app until June 1, after which it will cost $4.99/month.
Here’s how Storyrabbit works: The app uses your location (or a point of interest on the map you have selected) to generate a personalized audio story that lasts 60-90 seconds, delivered by the host of your choice. The company says “it’s like having your own audio tour guide for the world in your pocket with unlimited stories to tell.”
StoryRabbit users who select Welles as their host will hear a dynamically generated narrative about the history of film, TV, history and culture for the “rabbit hole” you’ve selected. (Listen to a demo below.)
Welles, director and star of cinema classic “Citizen Kane” who made a dozen other films, died in 1985 at the age of 70. Storyrabbit says it employs “ethical AI practices,” using licensed audio from his estate, and ensures “all narratives are human-curated, authentic and responsibly produced.” The company developed Welles’ AI voice in collaboration with Younite.ai.
“Orson was a relentless innovator, and bringing his voice into this new medium feels like a continuation of that legacy,” said David Reeder, representative of the Orson Welles Estate.
Kelly Garner, founder and CEO of Treefort Media and creator of Storyrabbit, said, “Integrating Orson Welles’ voice gives our storytelling unmatched resonance. Having the opportunity to work with a voice of this caliber is extraordinary. His timeless perspective offers users a unique lens — simultaneously nostalgic and forward-looking — to experience the world as it speaks, revealing incredible true stories.”
Other hosts available in the Storyrabbit app include Dominic Monaghan (“Lord of the Rings” movies, “Lost”) who hosts the “wild guide”; and author, podcaster and TV host Candice DeLong, who voices the “true crime guide.”
Treefort Media’s portfolio includes nearly 50 original podcasts spanning nonfiction, investigative journalism and scripted audio drama. Titles include scripted drama “Moriarty” and true-crime series “Killing Hollywood: The Cotton Club Murder” for Audible; “Killer Psyche With Candice DeLong” for Wondery; talk show “Chinwag” hosted by Paul Giamatti and Stephen Asma; and docu-series “Collapse: Disaster in Surfside,” created in partnership with the Miami Herald.
Listen to a sample of Orson Welles’ AI-generated voice:
