Agatha Christie is giving writing lessons… thanks to AI
British crime author Agatha Christie died almost half a century ago, aged 85. (AFP pic)
PARIS : The BBC isn't raising the dead, but it's getting close. Thanks to artificial intelligence, the author Agatha Christie – who has been dead for almost half a century – becomes the central figure in a new writing course launched by the BBC Maestro platform.
The aim is to teach people how to write like the Queen of Crime, guided by a digital version of the author herself.
Entitled 'Agatha Christie: Writing,' this course offers aspiring writers valuable insight into the art of constructing a good crime story. The course is based on Agatha Christie's own words, taken from her letters, interviews and personal writings.
An actress, Vivien Keene, helps bring Agatha Christie's presence to life on screen. To create this digital version of the British author, her appearance and voice were recreated with the help of artificial intelligence and BBC archives.
'In a world-first, Agatha Christie – bestselling novelist of all time – will offer aspiring writers an unparalleled opportunity to learn the secrets behind her writing, in her own words,' read the accompanying press release.
'Using meticulously restored archival interviews, private letters, and writings researched by a team of Christie experts, this pioneering course reconstructs Christie's own voice and insights, guiding students through the art of suspense, plot twists, and unforgettable characters.'
This is not a bot that generates text on the fly. The project is based on authentic content, organised by a team of experts, including academics, researchers, creative professionals and author specialists.
Artificial intelligence is used here as a reconstitution tool, not as an autonomous writing device. This is reflected in the process used to develop the voice, since those of the legendary author and actress have been blended to create the AI version of Christie's voice.
'You can hear my voice isn't anything like Christie's,' said Keene, quoted by The Hollywood Reporter.
'And so I tried to get just the cadence. … Her voice is pretty distinctive, actually, her voice, and she's very shy and feisty, and she doesn't really like being interviewed.
'And so I started to put the voice on thinking that they want me to use my voice in the final edit. But it has been re-speeched, I think is the word.'
In all, 'Agatha Christie: Writing' includes 11 videos accompanied by 12 exercises, for a total duration of 2.5 hours.
Viewers will learn how to set the scene for a mystery, maintain suspense, construct a revelation or play with the reader's expectations, all in the style of Agatha Christie.
The project was developed with the agreement of the writer's literary estate, represented by her great-grandson, James Prichard.
'They have been deeply involved from the beginning, and they have made sure this is not just something that Agatha would have understood, but, we hope, as a bit of an innovator herself, would have really enjoyed,' says Nicki Sheard, CEO of brands and licensing at BBC Studios, quoted by The Hollywood Reporter.
For the BBC, it's also an ambitious showcase for its BBC Maestro educational platform, which already offers courses led by the likes of Serena Williams, Kevin Hart, Kris Jenner and Stephen Curry.
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