US voice actors warn of rampant AI threat at Comic-Con cultural event
- Actors behind some of the world’s most popular animations and video games say technology is used to clone voices, often without the artist’s permission or payment
- North America’s biggest pop culture gathering is taking place during a major Hollywood strike, partly driven by concerns about the encroachment of AI
“Pandora’s Box is open” when it comes to artificial intelligence, voice actors behind some of the world’s most popular animations and video games warned at this week’s Comic-Con event.
One of the world’s biggest pop culture gatherings is taking place during a major Hollywood strike, partly driven by actors and writers’ concerns about the encroachment of AI into art.
Voice actors are on the frontlines of the debate, with technology now readily available allowing users to clone somebody’s voice and have it read new dialogue – often without their permission or payment.
Tim Friedlander, founder of the National Association of Voice Actors, shared a recent example of a voice actor who had worked for a company for three years, but abruptly lost their work.
“They said ‘we have three years of your voice – we’re just going to create an AI synthetic voice out what we already have,’” Friedlander told press ahead of Saturday’s panel.
The danger does not just come from studios. The last few years have seen a sharp rise in fans using AI “deepfake mods” to clone famous voices and have them read new material, often pornographic in nature.
