Trey Parker & Matt Stone’s Could Use AI To ‘Make South Park’ After New Deepfake Project

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Following a particularly provocative and debated Season 28 of South Park, creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have stayed in the public eye. They’ve been celebrating the 15th anniversary of their hit Broadway musical, The Book of Mormon, alongside writing partner Bobby Lopez. In a recent interview with the New York Times, Parker explained that their career has always been about deliberately addressing taboo subjects, even when facing criticism, which has surprisingly led to continued success. Parker and Stone have repeatedly drawn criticism from the White House for their depiction of President Trump and an AI version of him as Satan’s romantic partner, consistently attempting to harm the Prince of Darkness in a bid to trigger an abortion.

Today, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are exploring artificial intelligence. They join others like Val Kilmer and Ben Affleck (through Netflix) who have recently ventured into the AI space. Interestingly, Disney recently stopped using AI technology after OpenAI shifted its approach. Parker and Stone are developing their own AI system, called Deep Voodoo, designed to create visual effects beyond human capabilities. According to Matt Stone,

It’s frustrating how many AI conversations focus on simple tasks like automating taxes – a human can already do that! We’re aiming for something far beyond what any person, or even a large group of people, could accomplish.

We’ve already seen examples of this technology in a Kendrick Lamar music video, a Bill Clinton appearance in the Ted Lasso show, and a nude deepfake of President Trump featured on South Park last summer. Those familiar with the show may remember that Trey Parker and Matt Stone had been planning a deepfake movie starring Donald Trump, where his face would be superimposed onto another person’s body as the character descended into madness. When visual effects companies in Los Angeles couldn’t achieve the look Parker and Stone envisioned, and the pandemic caused further delays, a group of industry professionals started a new company in 2022 to tackle the challenge.

Deep Voodoo is led by Jennifer Howell, who previously worked as a producer on South Park, as Chief Content Officer. The CEO, Afshin Beyzaee, used to be a lawyer for Park County, the production company behind South Park, and he strongly emphasizes the company’s commitment to copyright law and its refusal to misuse anyone’s image like some OpenAI tools have been accused of.

This is where we might start seeing new AI technology used in shows like South Park and other comedies. According to Stone, the potential of AI in comedy isn’t about creating flawless impersonations. Instead, it’s about blending elements of many different people into a bizarre, mixed-up persona – something you could easily imagine seeing on a typical sketch or talk show. Stone believes that creative skill will be crucial to making this work.

We’re not simply giving instructions; we’re recording real actors performing. The truly special element of this process isn’t the technology itself, but the performer operating it. The tools can create impressive visuals, but without a skilled actor bringing it to life, it’s just a flat, lifeless image.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone envision a role for AI in the future of South Park, building on their previous successful use of the technology to streamline their workflow and increase production speed. Producing a season of South Park has always been incredibly demanding, with notoriously long hours – a factor that can make it difficult for those working on the show to maintain a healthy work-life balance, according to a former Family Guy writer-producer. The introduction of Deep Voodoo AI will likely provide benefits to the South Park team beyond just the creative process. While any use of AI is bound to spark debate, Parker and Stone are uniquely equipped to handle any resulting criticism.

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2026-03-31 20:50