AI audio and deepfake technology can replicate human speech with uncanny precision, even mimicking the voices of well-known personalities. While it offers practical and creative uses, it also raises significant ethical concerns about misuse, impersonation, and the spreading of fake content or false information.
In recent years, a growing number of AI voice generators have become accessible for online users, some giving the option to use fake celebrity voices, such as Donald Trump, Michael Jackson, Eminem, and Morgan Freeman, just to name a few. Sir David Attenborough — who has one of the most iconic and popular voices in the world — is among those featured on some AI programs, and he’s not pleased about it.
During a BBC News segment, news presenter Kasia Madera presented viewers with two voice clips — one featuring the real Attenborough and the other an AI-generated audio clone of his voice. The two clips were so eerily similar that we wouldn’t have been able to tell which one was real if it weren’t for Madera pointing it out. BBC reached out to Attenborough to get his take on the AI voice clone.
“Having spent a lifetime trying to speak what I believe to be the truth, I am profoundly disturbed to find that these days, my identity is being stolen by others and [I] greatly object to them using it to say whatever they wish.”
Attenborough, who is now 98 years old, is a broadcaster and biologist renowned for his decades-long career narrating natural history shows. With his soothing voice and lovely British accent, it’s no surprise why his voice is recognized and loved by millions around the world.
Hollywood’s union agreement on the use of celebrity AI voices
Attenborough’s concerns are valid. As a trusted figure with great authority, it’s worrisome how easy it is to create an audio clip using his voice like the one shared in the BBC audio clip. After hearing how real it sounded, many users share the same opinion as Attenborough around AI voice clones being comparable to stealing. “AI is more dangerous than we think,” one user wrote. “His stance underscores the need for stricter regulations to protect individuals’ identities and legacies in the digital age,” another commented.
Earlier this year, the SAG-AFTRA labor union addressed this very issue of AI celebrity voice replication by coming up with an agreement that allows its members to license the use of their voices with AI technology. They are working with Narrativ, an online marketplace for audio talent. “Its platform is an excellent example of how AI can be ethically used, by putting compensation, informed consent, and control in the hands of individual performers,” SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland stated. SAG-AFTRA has more than 160,000 members from the media and entertainment industries. With the new agreement, talent now has more control over how their voices are used when it comes to AI technology.
When it comes to Attenborough, Dr. Dominic Lees — an AI expert in film and television — says that there’s not much that can be done. He said that UK copyright and privacy laws lag behind the fast-paced advancements in AI technology, expressing the urgent need for updates to address the growing issue. Here’s hoping no one tries to come for Attenborough’s voice, which is so luxuriant we almost image he turns microphone into gold.