From flight to fight, a voice lives on: Recreating Val Kilmer's AI voice in his final and most impressive performance.

A fighter pilot scene created using Google Veo 2, paying tribute to Top Gun: Maverick

This week, we learned of the untimely passing of Val Kilmer — a cinematic legend and beloved star whose roles defined an era. He rose to fame as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in Top Gun, but his filmography is filled with unforgettable milestones, including The Doors (1991), Tombstone (1993), and Batman Forever (1995). His on-screen presence was magnetic, but it was his return to Top Gun: Maverick that offered perhaps the most moving performance of his career.

In the 2022 sequel, Kilmer’s character shares a deeply emotional scene with Tom Cruise. In real life, Val had lost his natural voice after a long battle with throat cancer. Yet, thanks to breakthrough AI technology by London-based Sonantic, his voice was reborn. Using hours of archival footage and voice samples, the task of recreating Val Kilmer's AI voice was made possible. AI modeled his unique tone, cadence, and emotion — recreating a digital voice that felt unmistakably him. The result was not just technically stunning — it was profoundly human. The on-screen moment was powerful not just because of the storyline, but because it reminded us of something much bigger: the ability of AI to restore dignity, identity, and presence.

As we reflect on Kilmer’s life and legacy, we’re also witnessing the early chapters of what artificial intelligence can do in healthcare. Beyond voice recreation, AI is revolutionizing early diagnosis of cancer, detecting patterns in medical imaging that human eyes might miss. It’s helping identify heart disease risks earlier, monitor vital signs in real time, and even map genetic predispositions through advanced sequencing and machine learning models. These tools aren’t replacing doctors — they’re empowering them with faster, deeper, and more personalized insights than ever before.

​Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing healthcare by enabling early disease detection, personalizing treatments, and restoring lost functions. For instance, in 2023, researchers at the Mayo Clinic developed an AI model capable of identifying pancreatic cancer in CT scans up to 475 days before clinical diagnosis, with an accuracy of 92%, significantly improving patient outcomes.  Additionally, AI facilitates the development of personalized medicine by analyzing an individual's genomic data to predict responses to specific treatments, thereby enhancing efficacy and minimizing adverse effects. In the same year, a groundbreaking clinical trial at UC Davis Health introduced a brain-computer interface (BCI) that translates brain signals into speech with up to 97% accuracy. This technology was developed to restore communication for individuals who have lost their ability to speak due to conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).  These advancements underscore the transformative potential of AI in healthcare, offering new avenues for early diagnosis, tailored treatments, and the restoration of vital functions.​

Imagine a future where AI alerts patients to hidden tumors before symptoms arise, helps tailor treatments based on their DNA, or supports recovery by restoring lost functions like speech. That future is already beginning.

Val Kilmer’s final scenes remind us of the power of legacy — and how, through innovation, we can preserve life, voice, and memory. Let this also serve as a call to continue pushing AI not just for convenience or entertainment, but for healing and human advancement in medicine.