Seth MacFarlane Shares How AI Helped Him Bring Bill Clinton to Life in ‘Ted’
As concerns regarding artificial intelligence continue to escalate in Hollywood, Seth MacFarlane is defending the technology after utilizing it to create a unique impression in his latest project.
The Oscar-nominated actor and creator recently discussed his decision to employ AI in the second season of the 1990s-set series Ted, now streaming on Peacock. In an episode titled “The Sword in the Stoned,” MacFarlane uses AI to transform into President Bill Clinton for a cameo appearance.
“I’ve been doing my Bill Clinton impression since the early days of Family Guy,” MacFarlane told the Associated Press. “It’s an interesting example of how AI can be used as a tool and not necessarily trample on the art that the rest of the industry is doing.”
He added, “We tried prosthetics, we tried traditional CGI and everything just looked terrifying. So we just said, ‘To hell with it, let’s try AI.’ It worked. It was the only way to look like Bill Clinton.”
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In the episode, the character Matty Bennett, a hot-headed Republican dad portrayed by Scott Grimes, secures a part-time job at Dunkin Donuts. In a twist, President Clinton (voiced by MacFarlane) stops by for a photo opportunity, leading to a humorous confrontation in which Matty criticizes him. The encounter escalates as the President expresses his frustrations while maintaining a cheerful facade for the cameras outside.
MacFarlane returns in Season 2 of Ted, reprising his role as the voice of the foul-mouthed stuffed bear, who was magically brought to life by young John, played by Max Burkholder. This series serves as a prequel to MacFarlane’s feature films Ted (2012) and Ted 2 (2015), which starred Mark Wahlberg as John.
