In this video from TED 2011, film critic and thyroid cancer survivor Roger Ebert explains the development of his replacement voice, from typing into the Macintosh’s Alex text-to-speech program to incorporating his own recorded voice for CereProc’s voice building technology (and eventually back to Alex again for the time being). In addition, he traces the evolution of human communication throughout history, eventually explaining how the internet has allowed him and others with speech impediments to find their true voice again. Ebert ends with a charming, but real proposal: if you can improve computer voices to the point where they can deliver comedy as well as real comedians, Ebert will be your first customer.
Medgadget flashback: Roger Ebert Demonstrates CereProc’s Impressive Voice Building Technology (Referred to in the above video as “Roger 2.0”)
