The noise around AI is relentless. There’s lots of fear, lots of scepticism and plenty of discussion in communities that feel under threat.
Let’s take Voiceover as an example, my industry. Assumptions keep being smashed, leaving some wondering if their future careers are in jeopardy. Here are some:
1. ’AI can’t replicate the delicate nuances of a real Human, warm and engaging voice – the quality is pretty bad‘.
2. ’It’ll just serve the bottom end of the market, so position yourself accordingly’.
3. ‘As long as we don’t feed the engines, it will go away’.
Is AI a Threat To Voiceover ?
1. Modellers are achieving increasingly impressive results and whilst there still lacks a ‘Human’ feel, especially when handling context or instinctive phrase shaping, improvement is exponential.
2. We are hearing AI generated voice in commercial ads on the radio already, so that myth is busted.
3. Guess what, its not going away, so you’d better find a way to work with it.
Fear of the Un-known
AI is a highly technical space, occupied, (I assume), by clever people in white coats with clip-boards. Some champion ethical approaches, but there will also be opportunistic ‘Bond’ villains with facial scars exploiting the uncertainty. Anecdotally in the US, families are being scammed by fake relatives who extort money using this technology.
Approaching The Future
Rather than leaving the future in the hands of Mr Goldfinger, in light of emergent technology it makes sense for leaders in the creative industries to aggressively shape the conditions for their longevity. These relatively early days of development require cooperation from all parties, so promises will be made about ethical approaches and consideration of everyone’s needs.
Thats a pile of horse-crap in the long-run though. Eventually market forces will take control and business will be King. There’s too much passivity in the approach of creative industries to prevent them being eaten by the seismic arrival of technology like AI. I keep hearing: ‘ this is a people business ’ etc….which is nice, but only the pressure applied today by industry giants, professional societies and performing rites organisations will ensure that the lambs are still dancing around our feet in 5 years.
Stakeholders must engage now with developers, set out their terms and ensure that lessons from the past are not painfully re-learned.
Returning to AI in Voiceover, (as I know the area), the current model of working is going to die !
What could emerge is a new model where voice actors digitally clone their voice to a base template, from which clients are able to audition their scripts.
Possible AI Voice Future Model
People will always want a Human voice, let’s be clear, but voice artists would no longer audition. They are hired on the basis of clients hearing their own script with your voice, played through an app on your website. The artist then either hires the artist in the usual way, or agrees terms to use the AI version (with industry approved T&Cs in place).
Assumptions:
- AI generated voice demos are watermarked – to prevent unauthorised use.
- Rates for work are industry led – union endorsed and incorporate usage fees.
- Usage tracking is possible – (not currently – see Music Industry PRO models).
Threats:
A new way of working requires input from all areas, the tech companies developing the capability, the artists who build the data-set and the customers who embrace the change. Once established however, let’s not kid ourselves that market forces will not take over.
Lessons from other industries – Music Licensing:
If you look at music licensing agencies, (Music Libraries), there existed for 10 – 20 years a model where musicians would sign exclusive or non-exclusive deals to have their music available for sync with visual media. Fees were fair, generous even and it was a lucrative line of work for many.
With recording technology becoming increasingly accessible to home studio owners, more affordable, portable and easy to use, supported by the YouTube industrial complex – the market-place soon saturated.
The market inevitably shifted in favour of the libraries, with customers signing up to annual subscription fees. This is where many music libraries are today; customers enjoy an all you can eat buffet of content for a paltry figure, with musicians receiving a mere fraction of what they were previously.
Conclusion:
Creative industries have the chance to work both with, and in competition with AI, accepting and adapting to a changing way of working. Hybrid models can work, but creative industries need to develop strategies fast in order to own their own futures. I know of leaders in the Voiceover industry that are actively doing this, engaging with the front running developers now. The eventual influence of market forces is inevitable, but early input is essential to maximise industry benefits.
James Fowler is a Human Voiceover Artist, living and working in Hampshire, UK. He’s fit the brief for clients around the World in Audiobook, Audioguide, Commercial, eLearning, Medical, Character and Documentary style projects. If you enjoyed reading this feel free to reach out. Also, I’ll be happy to chat about any VoiceOver services you require.
