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Updated · Gizmodo · May 4Samuel Potozkin builds AI-powered conversational C-3PO head
1 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · May 4
- The Chapman University student in Orange County posted a video and GitHub paper showing how the prop uses a Raspberry Pi 5, microphone and custom LLM.
- Speech is transcribed, sent to the model as a prompt, then converted back with text-to-speech and audio effects to mimic C-3PO's metallic voice.
- The project surfaced on Star Wars Day, weeks after an original Empire Strikes Back C-3PO head sold for more than $1 million at auction.
This AI is 'a little robotic.' How far are we from AI conversations that feel truly alive? When does a fan's AI replica of a character become a copyright issue? Can an AI truly embody a character's personality, or is it just a sophisticated mimic?