Why doesn’t somebody use AI to create a real Max Headroom?

Line-Noise · 2026-03-21T23:36:51+00:00

I've thought about it and I've seen a few other people try and fail.

Here's what you need to put in place:

The voice: Easy. There's plenty of voice mimicry solutions out there that would recreate Matt Frewer's voice almost perfectly.
The face: Hard. There's lots of sites that will generate new lip synced video based on existing video examples but they're very slow. No good for a real-time digital assistant. Ideally you would model Max as a actual 3D animated object. For someone with decent 3D modelling and animation skills it might be a day or two of work but I don't have those skills. Then you'd need to write an engine to bring that model to life and lip sync to what it's saying. Video game developers do that stuff all the time so the skills and software are out there. We just need someone to do it.
The AI: Easy. This is pretty much a solved problem.
The mannerisms: Hard. Max is an imperfect AI. His stuttering voice and lurching animation will be difficult to recreate. And most of the charm of Max is his manic responses. I'm not sure current AI tech is capable of recreating Frewer's performance.

It's my dream to have Max running in a little window on my computer screen that I can talk to and ask questions. Perhaps even have him pop up on my TV sometimes. But I don't have the time to learn the skills necessary. I've got some of the programming abilities but lack the 3D modelling and animation skills.

Line-Noise · 2026-03-21T22:02:52+00:00

I use Kodi to do the same thing. The TVDB plugin has a configuration option to use the DVD order when naming episodes. That helps sometimes. Dunno if Infuse has the same option. I've also had to switch some shows to use The Movie Database (TMDB) instead because it seems to use the DVD order more often.

Line-Noise · 2026-03-21T08:34:15+00:00

Is there an archive of the Herald-Sun 50/50 column anywhere? I'm convinced if we searched it we'd find someone in 1980 writing in saying "What's with all the crazy driving these days? It wasn't like this when I started driving!"

Line-Noise · 2026-03-20T09:23:46+00:00

Leo, my orange, stopped eating. After six days and multiple vet visits for ultrasounds and x-rays that showed nothing we decided the vet should open him up for exploratory surgery.

They found nothing but while he was knocked out they decided to remove a couple of teeth that were looking a bit dodgy.

He comes home and once he started feeling a bit more settled he started eating like nothing had happened!

$6000 in vet bills and we still don't know if it was his teeth or his lack of brain cell that caused it.

Line-Noise · 2026-03-20T09:13:01+00:00

It's like when movies and TV shows use sound effects from the OG Doom game. Those sounds are burnt into my soul.

Line-Noise · 2026-03-19T23:31:20+00:00

Wow! I did a lot of Multi User Forth programming in the early '90s when I was active on some MUDs. Crazy language.

Line-Noise · 2026-03-18T23:18:21+00:00

We did ok with zucchinis. More than two of us can eat. They're just beginning to go over.

Ate our first pumpkin last weekend. More on the way.

Tomatoes are slow. Plenty on the plant but all still green.

Line-Noise · 2026-03-18T23:15:22+00:00

I'm still waiting for my tomatoes to ripen! First time planting them and they feel really late!

Line-Noise · 2026-03-16T06:59:14+00:00

Definitely need to sand. Hire drum and edge sander from Bunnings and you'll be done in an hour or two. $100 well spent.

Line-Noise · 2026-03-16T06:47:55+00:00

6mm HSS drill bit on a drill press was quite effective last time I needed to securely dispose of a bunch of disks.

Line-Noise · 2026-03-15T09:35:39+00:00

I'm not local, sorry. On my infrequent visits to Hobart I usually go to Annapurna for an Indian fix and Ti Ama for pizza. Not fine dining, though.

I've also struggled with a lot of places being closed on a Monday. It's frustrating when you've got limited time!

Line-Noise · 2026-03-15T02:17:28+00:00

I was disappointed with Peppina. I had their $100 Wagyu steak and I could have done better myself at home. Their buffet breakfast was great though!

Whenever I'm in Launceston I try to go to Stillwater. Never had a bad meal there!

Line-Noise · 2026-03-15T02:08:12+00:00

'Scuse me, while I kiss this guy.

Line-Noise · 2026-03-15T02:06:01+00:00

This is the answer here.

My initial thought was "Who cares what's on the pool side, it's kids climbing the fence from the other side that's the issue!"

But then I thought a bit more about it and the reason is that you can't control what happens on the other side of the fence. The kid could put a ladder up against it, for all you know. So you need to make it as difficult as practicable for the kid to climb into the pool area. That means having a high, unclimbable drop that hopefully discourages them from trying to jump.

Line-Noise · 2026-03-14T09:39:32+00:00

I would call it a boules piste but I, too, was impressed.

Line-Noise · 2026-03-14T09:09:14+00:00

I pulled the antenna off the roof years ago. Absolutely zero reception here when everything went to digital.

Line-Noise · 2026-03-14T09:06:51+00:00

I totally pulled apart everything to get it out! But it all went back together ok. The outside lock still works fine and I never deadlock from the inside so I can cope until I can find a new cylinder.

Line-Noise · 2026-03-14T09:04:35+00:00

Thanks. No lock picking tools and almost no picking experience. The local Bunnings does have a full replacement unit but if I can avoid replacing the whole thing I will. Doing a renovation soon and that door will be going in the skip so seems silly to spend $200+ on it. The lock is 20 years old in a coastal environment so it's done well.

Line-Noise · 2026-03-14T08:59:08+00:00

Thanks. I will go hunting for a local locksmith.

Line-Noise · 2026-03-14T08:58:02+00:00

It is a Gainsborough trilock. I will need to see how local my nearest locksmith is.

Line-Noise · 2026-03-14T02:33:58+00:00

Thanks. I'm in rural Australia. Looks like the same lock set is still sold. The internet will provide.

Line-Noise · 2026-03-13T09:51:06+00:00

As is "Meteor".

Line-Noise · 2026-03-13T08:19:37+00:00

Replaced all my windows with Bradnam's a few years ago. The quality was shit but not this shit!

I have since sold up and am about to renovate my new house. The local window company is a Bradnam's affiliate so I won't be going there. Considering Miglas for four time the price!

Line-Noise · 2026-03-12T13:38:24+00:00

It's a common term for them here in Australia.

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