ESPN 30 for 30's decision to use deepfakes for Al Davis and Pete Rozelle is "completely bonkers"

The Ringer

The latest 30 for 30, Al Davis vs. the NFL, features deepfake technology using stand-ins and voice actors to bring the iconic late Raiders owner, who died in 2011, and the late NFL commissioner, who died in 1996, back to life. "The reanimated Davis and Rozelle do so much more than loiter. Horrifyingly, they also talk, a feat made possible by voice actors hired to do impersonations of both—a performance that would have been better left on some other corner of the Strip," says Claire McNear, adding: "The deepfaked duo pace through the empty halls of Allegiant Stadium—Davis, of course, in his signature white tracksuit. They climb stairs. They lean together on railings and contemplate the, um, splendor of either a brand-new taxpayer-funded stadium or of finding themselves once more upon this mortal coil. Have I mentioned that it’s really, really weird?"