Netflix’s Wonka show uses an AI Gene Wilder voice, and viewers object

Netflix’s new reality competition, Wonka’s The Golden Ticket, uses an AI recreation of Gene Wilder’s voice, and viewers have pushed back. The voice narrates the show and explains the rules to contestants. Wilder, who played Willy Wonka in the 1971 film, died in 2016.

The show premiered on 23 September. The AI voice was made with ElevenLabs, a company that clones and generates human-like speech, The Tab reported. Karen Wilder, his widow, gave permission on behalf of the Gene Wilder Estate.

“We are delighted that Wonka’s The Golden Ticket celebrates the warmth and imagination that he brought to the role,” Karen Wilder said.

Consent from the estate, not the actor

The estate’s approval did not settle the question for many viewers. Some argued that Wilder himself never agreed to have his voice recreated. TechRadar collected posts from X and Reddit, some calling Netflix disgusting.

“No way could Gene Wilder...

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