Save Our Voices Now: Why I’m Saying No to AI Voice Cloning
Recently, I’ve been approached by AI companies about Italian text-to-speech (TTS) and voice-cloning projects. The fees can be tempting, but there’s something that makes me hesitate: the contract.
I find these agreements difficult to understand. What exactly am I giving permission for? How will my recordings be used, and for how long? A recording might seem like a single job, but it could become the starting point for generating millions of new sentences in my voice, potentially for years to come. Unless you have the right legal advice, it can be difficult to know what you’re signing away. For that reason, I’ve chosen to stay away from these projects.
But I recently became curious to learn more about what is happening and what protections, if any, exist. That’s when I came across a Guardian article about Save Our Voices Now, a campaign calling for stronger protection against AI voice cloning.
The campaign is backed by actors including Nicola Coughlan, Matt Lucas and Hugh Bonneville. Its message is simple: our voices are part of our identity, and people should have a say in how they are used. As Bonneville put it, “My voice is unique, it’s mine, it’s part of my identity. So is yours. That’s worth speaking up about.” The campaign also highlights the risks of voice-cloning scams, which can affect anyone, not just performers.
What struck me is that this isn’t simply about technology replacing voice artists or taking away work. It’s about consent, control and identity. AI can be a useful tool, but should agreeing to one recording mean giving away control over how your voice might be used in the future? I don’t think it should. The Save Our Voices Now campaign is calling for people in the UK to have a statutory right to their own voice. I believe this is a conversation we all need to be part of, whether we work in the creative industries or not.
If you agree, please consider signing the petition. Every voice matters.
A personal note: As an Italian voiceover artist based in the UK, I work from my professional home studio and attend recording sessions in London. I believe in the value of the human voice, with all its character, emotion and individuality. If you need a human voice for your next project, in Italian or English, I’d love to hear from you.
Comments