A coalition of over 80 performers has written to the UK government requesting new legislation that would grant every person in the country a legal right to own their voice. The signatories, including actors Matt Lucas, Hugh Bonneville, and Nicola Coughlan, are seeking protection against unauthorized use of their voices in artificial intelligence applications.
Voice clones are generated by training AI systems on audio recordings of real people. While basic versions can be produced in minutes using just seconds of audio, higher-quality replicas typically require substantially more training data and processing time. Audiobook narrator Alice Sockett, who initiated the campaign, characterized the issue as an existential threat to the performing arts industry. She emphasized that despite her voice being publicly available, it currently lacks legal protections and noted that instances of voice theft are increasing regularly.
A UK government representative acknowledged that while digital replicas offer potential benefits for creative industries, they also present possibilities for misuse. The government indicated it intends to launch a consultation examining how to address these concerns while maintaining support for legitimate technological innovation. Among the letter’s signatories are performers from various disciplines, including Derry Girls actress Siobhán McSweeney and Scottish singer Sandi Thom, who expressed concerns about falling behind in addressing the issue and emphasized the importance of human connection in creative work.
The campaign follows warnings from legal experts earlier this year that existing UK law has become inadequate in protecting individuals’ voices, faces, and identities in light of recent AI advances. However, the technology has also provided benefits for certain users. For example, individuals with speech impairments caused by motor neurone disease have used AI voice cloning to maintain their original voices, and some have employed the technology to create holographic representations of deceased individuals.
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