Jimmy Stewart may have died in 1997, but that isn’t going to stop him from reading you a bedtime story. So long as you have $6.99 to give his bosses, that is. Calm, the app that has been helping people relax, meditate, and sleep for the last few years, has announced a new addition to its growing collection of storytellers — and you won’t believe who it is. Or, you wouldn’t if we hadn’t already spoiled it.
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Calm is one of a growing number of apps to branch out into new ways for people to relax. Getting enough sleep is a big part of improving mental health and wellbeing, but we all have those times when a good night’s sleep simply eludes us. For those times, Calm hired a company to set about creating an AI version of one of the world’s most soothing voices. The result is an AI recreation of Jimmy Stewart’s voice, and it sounds pretty great.
“I’m James Stewart”
A newVarietyreport — where you can also hear an example of the voice in action — took the wraps off Stewart’s new voice in a piece that explains exactly how his return came about. The whole thing was the work of a company called Respeecher, with CEO and co-founder Alex Serdiuk apparently very much aware that some people might have a problem with people being brought back from the dead to make money — the bedtime story is only available to those who pay the $6.99 per month Calm subscription.
“It was essential, like in all other projects, that the project was done according to high ethical standards and respect, which Respeecher has advocated for many years,” Serdiuk told Variety. “James Stewart is one of the most remarkable actors in U.S. history. Recreating his voice with AI was both a huge responsibility and an honor for Respeecher. It was a way to pay tribute to his incredible career and all the good memories he left to people.”
“It’s amazing what technology can do and wonderful to see Dad’s legacy live on this holiday season in new ways, like helping people find restful sleep and sweet dreams…”
As for the Stewart family, they seem pretty happy with what’s going on. Or at least Kelly Stewart Harcourt, one of Stewart’s daughters, is. She said in a statement “We are excited for our dad to be the voice of Calm’s latest Sleep Story. It’s amazing what technology can do and wonderful to see Dad’s legacy live on this holiday season in new ways, like helping people find restful sleep and sweet dreams.”
Stewart joins a long list of big names to have read stories for Calm including Jennifer Garner, Shawn Mendes, Harry Styles, Michael Bublé, Matthew McConaughey, LeBron James, Cillian Murphy, Idris Elba, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, LeVar Burton, Lucy Liu, Mandy Moore, and Kate Winslet.
How to find and listen to AI Jimmy Stewart
To access the AI-generated voice of Jimmy Stewart in the Calm app, follow these steps:
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The intro starts with the AI-generated voice of Stewart greeting you and introducing the story.
