In today’s digital world, technological advancements such as AI voiceover generators are becoming more prevalent than ever.
AI voice acting is a powerful technology that can imitate human voice and emotions, such as happiness, sadness, flirtiness, and teasing.
It is essentially text to speech with emotion software that many companies use to create games, corporate videos, and other digital media.
The AI model copies the real person’s speech, style, patterns, and pronunciation to create a script that comes off as real and authentic.
Is it ethical to use AI voice actors for various media?
In this article, we will discuss people’s perception of AI and how, if used correctly, AI voice actors can bring about development, progress, and change in the AI space.
AI Abuse: Deepfake Software
AI voice may have some negative connotation associated with it as many scammers have used deepfake software to trick people into believing they are someone they know.
In March 2019, a cybercriminal tricked the CEO of UK based energy company into sending a large amount of money into an overseas account.
The CEO thought he was speaking on the phone with his boss who had asked him to transfer €220,000 to a Hungarian supplier. The person behind the AI software was able to use a deepfake software to successfully mimic the boss’ voice.
Due to a rise in such crimes, cybersecurity companies have now built software that can detect these deepfake recordings.
While there are many benefits to every technology, some people will always exploit it for their own personal gains.
AI Ethical Usage Can Be Life-Changing For Some
When used properly, AI voice actors can bring about a lot of advancements and may even change a person’s life.
Take the example of Val Kilmer – the famous actor known for his outstanding role in Top Secret!
In December 2017, it was revealed that Kilmer was suffering from throat cancer which had affected his voice adversely.
Later, a software firm used AI to recreate Val Kilmer’s voice. The actor later shared his sentiments.
“After getting treated, my voice as I knew it was taken away from me. People around me struggle to understand when I’m talking. But despite all that I still feel I’m the exact same person. Still the same creative soul. A soul that dreams ideas and stories confidently, but now I can express myself again, bring these ideas to you, and show you this part of myself once more. A part that was never truly gone. Just hiding away.”
Kilmer said that communication is the essence of our existence and he was grateful to have been given an opportunity to share his story through AI.
Are AI Voice Actors Paid?
The AI voice actors are created using real human voice actors and they are compensated in royalties for providing their voice as the template. It’s a way to provide voice-actors for everyone while also compensating real-voice actors fairly.
With this service, anyone can get professional voice-overs for their content without breaking the bank. This saves companies, especially startups a lot of time, money, and effort.
Practices Towards Ethical Usage of AI Voice Actors
Companies and individuals can take certain measures to promote positive usage of advanced text-to-speech software used for voice acting.
- Be transparent with the voice actors.
- Inform the voice actors where their voices will be used.
- Compensate the actors fairly.
- Implement usage restrictions throughout the life cycle of the project.
- If a voice actor is creating a voice for a deceased person, seek permission from the family first.
- Do not use AI to tarnish someone’s reputation or paint someone as a person they are/were not.
Conclusion
AI voice actors can not only save companies hundreds of dollars but also open many doors to creativity and growth.
Voice actors are completely ethical to use. Just like any other professional, they are also compensated for their work.
There will always be people who abuse technology, so it’s best to educate one another and continue to move in the right direction!
Credits
- Photography – Pavel Danilyuk
- Photography – Andrea Piacquadio
- Photography – Olia Danilevich
- Photography – Karolina Grabowska
- Photography – Ann H
- Val Kilmer Photo – Prime Video
