AI can’t replace Mickey Mouse, says voice of Disney mascot

Aw, gee! The technology driving artificial intelligence sure is swell, but it could never capture the essence of Mickey Mouse, according to the man who voices Disney’s mascot.

In relation to Disney’s upcoming 100th anniversary celebration, the press spoke to animators, archivists, and Bret Iwan, who voices Mickey, about the company’s past, present, and future. They also discussed the possibilities of AI, a subject that is presently causing controversy in Hollywood.

“Gosh, I would say, of course there’s amazing technology being developed with AI, and it’s so impressive,” said Iwan.

“But I don’t think anything can replace the heart of a character and more importantly, the heart of storytelling.”

This summer, artificial intelligence has been a regular cause of concern in Hollywood due to the threat it poses to careers in the entertainment business. The press paid a visit to Disney’s profound studio in the vicinity of Los Angeles when authors were still on strike, in part due to concerns regarding AI would possibly replacing them in the near future.

Walt Disney himself, the creator of the corporation, first gave Mickey’s falsetto voice in 1928’s “Steamboat Willie.” Over three decades, the character was voiced by two other men.

“I hope I get to do it as long as this holds out,” said Iwan, pointing to his vocal cords.

The use of powerful computers in animation—possibly the art form most closely identified with Disney—is a well-established practice. The predominant form of the genre, computer-generated animation, has long supplanted conventional hand-drawn artwork.

The employment of AI to construct the credits for the Disney+ series “Secret Invasion” recently caused controversy, despite the fact that people are still designing and making such films.

Disney animator Eric Goldberg, a steadfast supporter of hand-drawn animation and the creator of the Genie in “Aladdin,” thinks AI is unlikely to have an impact on his work.

“I think AI has less of a chance of affecting hand-drawn animation than it does computer animation, because AI is about replicating realism,” he said.

“The characters that I do, the Genie’s head can turn into a toaster! Which you can’t do with an AI character!”

“So hand-drawn gives us a little bit of an advantage that way.”

There will always, in Goldberg’s opinion, “be a core of us who want to see hand-drawn animation.” Goldberg recently completed training five new Disney hand-drawn apprentices.

“Because we have to use our imaginations so much to represent hand-drawn characters, because of the flexibility of what they can do, I don’t think AI is going to be a problem to that side of medium,” said Goldberg.

“As long as there are people who still want to do it!”