You’ve heard of artists and writers getting replaced by artificial intelligence (AI), and these machines using their work to generate content— get ready for voice actors (VAs) getting replaced by AI who stole their voices.
A troubling trend has arisen in the voice-acting industry. Companies are now asking professional VAs to sign contracts that would allow corporations to synthesize their voices using AI. This meant that companies now have these voices for as long as they want. They can use them to say what they want without paying additional compensation. Sometimes they have to deceptively hide these statements deep in the contracts.
"The language can be confusing and ambiguous," Tim Friedlander, president of the National Association of Voice Actors, told Vice. "Many voice actors may have signed a contract without realizing language like this had been added. Some actors are being told they cannot be hired without agreeing to these clauses.”
Image credit: Dmitry Demidov