Having recently used ChatGPT to create an immersive “day in the life” narrative about my grandfather, Leon Crawford, during World War I, I became curious about what else could be done with the story. Could I take that text-based narrative and turn it into a narrated audio file—and eventually a video?
Even though ChatGPT can write vivid stories, it doesn’t currently generate audio. However, it did recommend several tools that do. One of those tools was Canva, which includes an AI voice generator. ChatGPT even provided step-by-step instructions for turning my narrative into an audio track. I followed the directions, added an image that included a ChatGPT generated image behind the audio file, and within minutes I had created my first video version of his story.
Here is that video:
Although the Canva narration worked, I wasn’t completely satisfied with the voice quality. Curious about other approaches, I asked ChatGPT whether it could turn the narrative into a song instead. Not only did it produce thoughtful lyrics based on Leon’s military experiences, but it also generated a Suno-ready prompt so I could create a ballad-style AI performance of the song.
Next, I tried a different experiment. I copied the original “Day in the Life” narrative into Google Notebook LM and asked it to produce an audio overview. Even though the overview is based on an AI-generated story, the result provides an evocative sense of what a soldier might have experienced as part of an anti-aircraft artillery unit during World War I.
Three different tools—Canva, Suno.com, and Google Notebook LM—each produced very different audio interpretations of the same narrative. Together, they offer a unique and multi-layered way to experience Leon Crawford’s service during the Great War.
Turning Leon’s narrative into audio and video gave me a fresh, unexpected connection to his life. Hearing his story aloud—whether as narration, song, or summary—made his experiences feel closer and more tangible. I’m grateful for the tools that allow us to preserve and share these memories in ways our ancestors could never have imagined.