F ake is the new real, it seems. Ferrari has patented a new sound system for its future EVs that will take the whine of an electric motor and amplify it, to cre-ate a noise that will ‘stir up feelings and emo-tions’, as Ferrari R&D chief Ernesto Lasalandra put it. At the moment it doesn’t look like the sys-tem will make a V12 noise – the patent refers to a ‘reproduction device for the realisation of a sound that can be associ-ated with an electric motor’. But really, if you’re going to fake a sound, it could be any sound, right?
Personally, when my kettle is just about to boil, I get very excited. The whole pot starts to vibrate on its little stand like a rocket about to leave the launchpad, and I can’t help but feel an intense anticipa-tion when I know that on-off button is about to click. Also, my washing machine on full spin: ah, the intensity of that drum, full of socks and pants, screaming at 1400rpm… it gives me goosebumps. Or what about the high-frequency buzz of an electric toothbrush, on its highest setting? This noise is exciting but it also gives me feelings of great satisfaction and joy, as I know the inside of my head is going to be polished white-clean like the marble floor of the Vatican.
If Ferrari could reproduce that noise, modulating the pitch to match my speed and throttle position, and then blast it into the cabin at high volume, it would be like… like… well, like driving a £350,000 electric toothbrush, I guess.
But this isn’t going to stop with sound, oh no. Here’s a prediction: I was reading the other day about a forthcoming Robert Zemeckis film called Here, starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright. Zemeckis recently announced a collaboration with artificial intelligence (AI) deep fake company Metaphysic. Now, you’ve probably seen deep fakes online: there are the YouTube videos, like comedian Bill Hader morphing into Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jerry Seinfeld appearing in a scene from Pulp Fiction, complete with canned laughter. Surreal. Then there’s the controversial ITV show, Deep Fake Neighbour Wars. Metaphysic itself is behind the DeepTomCruise videos on TikTok.
Now Metaphysic and Zemeckis are talking about the next step: using AI to create ‘high-resolution photo-realistic face-swaps and de-ageing effects on top of actors’ performances, live and in real-time without the need for further compositing or VFX work.’
In other words, Hanks will be de-aged from his current 66 years back to his Forrest Gump prime, 30 years ago;
