Master Chief is a centipede. The Spartan super soldier is trained for any kind of hard combat and has fought his way through the human-covenant war in countless Halo games over more than 20 years. And now Master Chief is here to give you all kinds of advice: from filing your tax return to changing the oil in your 2006 Nissan Murano.
YouTuber Synthetic Soundsmith has used artificial intelligence voice-over technology to have Master Chief explain the intricacies of tax season, among other things. “Let’s talk about taxes like we’re fighting the Covenant,” Master Chief’s voice begins in the video.
Incredibly, the description is both characteristic and legitimately helpful. Master Chief instructs you to gather the necessary documents and receipts, adding, “Leave no stone unturned or the IRS will catch you like a Grunt in a trap.” It also walks you through selecting filing status and calculating taxable income, tax liability, and deductions. “But don’t try to cheat or the IRS will come after you like the flood,” he says. It ends with a reminder to submit on time – online or by mail.
Perhaps you do not need tax advice? Well, there are plenty of other options. Let Master Chief guide you through that oil change, or through it cleaning your house. But if a little light role play is more your feel, Master Chief as an Applebee’s waiter is also an absolute treat.
In my personal favorite, Master Chief gives listeners a pep talk on how to ask their crush out. “Fear not my comrade, for I will help you in your search for love,” he says. “I may have confused my words a bit, but I made sure to convey that you find her incredibly attractive – like the side of a warthog with a fresh coat of paint (…) You will soon be holding hands with your dream girl, like wielding two energy swords.”
In the past year, generative AI has become more sophisticated, to the extent that it can be used to generate voiceovers that sound like well-known public figures. This technology is also used to make it sound like real people, be they celebrities or political figures, are saying absurd things. While these particular examples are funny – and I’d giggle if Master Chief says just about anything that’s out of character – it’s also a reminder of how easy it is to use technology like this to blur the line between reality and fiction .
