Use AI to recreate a loved one’s voice
Mark in Washington, D.C., wrote in with a question that absolutely pulled at my heartstrings:
“Kim, I love your newsletter and shows on WTOP 103.5 FM. My dad passed away recently, but I have all his voicemails on my phone. Is there any way to recreate his voice so my two young kids can hear him read their favorite bedtime stories?”
Mark, what a beautiful idea. And yes, you can absolutely do this with a little bit of AI magic and some tech know-how.
🗂 Save and organize the audio
Start by pulling those voicemails off your phone.
- iPhone: Open the Phone app, tap Voicemail. Select the message and tap the Share icon. Save to Files, Messages, or Email it to yourself.
- Android: In your carrier’s app, there is usually a way to save voicemails.
No save option?
🎙️ Record with another phone. Play the voicemail on speaker. Use a second phone with a free app like:
- Easy Voice Recorder (Android)
- Voice Memos (iPhone)
Once saved, keep those files backed up somewhere like Google Drive or Dropbox, so they’re ready for the next step.
🧽 Clean up the sound
Those recordings may need a little TLC.
- Descript – Transcribes and edits audio with a simple interface. You can even cut out background noise and stutters.
🗣 Clone his voice
If you have at least a minute of clear speech, you can use AI voice tools to create a model of your dad’s voice.
- ElevenLabs – Upload samples, and it’ll generate a voice that sounds remarkably close.
- Resemble.ai – Another strong option that allows emotional tone customization.
Important: These tools are powerful, so use them thoughtfully and respectfully.
📖 Feed a story
Once you’ve cloned the voice, you can type in or paste the text of any story, even something you write yourself. The AI will read it out loud in your dad’s voice. Imagine your kids hearing Goodnight Moon or The Very Hungry Caterpillar from Grandpa.
This is more than tech, it’s creating an emotional time capsule. Your kids will grow up hearing their grandpa’s voice, keeping his memory close in the most comforting way.
And if this inspired you, hit one of those share icons below. You never know who needs to hear this idea right now.
Tags: AI (artificial intelligence), Android, ElevenLabs, Google, tech, voice
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