Werner Herzog, acclaimed German director, narrated an audiobook of AI-generated poetry. The book was a collaboration between childhood friends Brent Katz, Josh Morgenthau, and Simon Rich who reconnected with Dan Selsam, another childhood friend and current OpenAI scientist, at a wedding, Katz told Insider over email. The resulting collection of dozens of poems released on August 1 is told from the AI's own perspective. After the book's publisher made contact with Herzog, Katz managed to connect with him directly over email. "On one performance (I forget the poem), he was so happy with his first take that he said, 'And in fact, I refuse to do it again,'" Katz told Insider of directing Herzog during recording.

---

Persons: Werner Herzog, Brent Katz, Josh Morgenthau, Simon Rich, Dan Selsam, Katz, Selsam, Morgenthau, Herzog, Stephen Hawking, Herzog didn't, OpenAI Organizations: Artificial, Morning, New York Times, Times Locations: Washington