A look at startups like WellSaid Labs and VocaliD, which are building custom AI voice actors for digital assistants, video game characters, and corporate videos
A new wave of startups are using deep learning to build synthetic voice actors for digital assistants, video-game characters, and corporate videos. Tweets: @kathyreid , @eagerbeavertech , @martinwaxman , @ttallon , @eagerbeavertech , @erikphoel , @eagerbeavertech , @resembleai , @_karenhao , @paulnemitz , @_karenhao , @vocalidinc , and @mattnavarra Tweets: @kathyreid : Another excellent piece by @_KarenHao for @techreview about #TTS - or voice synthesis, and its repercussions - both positive and negative. Interesting to see the new business models. #AI #voice actors sound more human than ever—and they're ready to hire https://www.technologyreview.com/ ... Eager Beaver / @eagerbeavertech : https://www.technologyreview.com/ ... Each one is based on a real voice actor, whose likeness has been preserved using AI. Martin Waxman / @martinwaxman : #AI voices are sounding a lot more like people. Companies can now use a synthetic brand voice for customer service, videos and training. But the AI still needs human actors for training data. And compensation is an issue. cc @alexsevigny #AIinPR https://www.technologyreview.com/ ... Tina Tallon, Ph.D. / @ttallon : “If they're not afraid of being automated away by AI, [voice actors are] worried about being compensated unfairly or losing control over their voices...” A great overview of current concerns in AI speech synthesis from @techreview: https://www.technologyreview.com/ ... Eager Beaver / @eagerbeavertech : https://www.technologyreview.com/ ... Whereas companies used to have to hire different voice actors for different markets-the Northeast versus Southern US, or France versus Mexico-some voice AI firms can manipulate the accent or switch the language of a single voice in different ways. Erik Hoel / @erikphoel : Goodbye voice actors https://www.technologyreview.com/ ... Eager Beaver / @eagerbeavertech : https://www.technologyreview.com/ ... Unlike a recording of a human voice actor, synthetic voices can also update their script in real time, opening up new opportunities to personalize advertising. @resembleai : At @resembleai, we are using deep learning to build synthetic voices for various use cases, such as: digital assistants, video-game characters, and virtual call center agents etc. Great overview of the landscape done by MIT Technology Review @techreview -https://www.technologyreview.com/ ... Karen Hao / @_karenhao : Each of the voices I've embedded in my piece represent impressive advancements in deep learning. But the rise of hyperrealistic fake voices has left human voice actors to wonder what this means for their livelihoods. https://www.technologyreview.com/ ... Paul Nemitz / @paulnemitz : That's why in the #AIA #ArtificailIntelligenceAct we need a comprehensive duty to signal that a machine is speaking: #AI #voice actors sound more human than ever—and are ready to hire | MIT Technology Review #PrinzipMensch https://www.technologyreview.com/ ... Karen Hao / @_karenhao : Can you tell that this voice isn't human? It's actually an AI voice actor made by @wellsaidlabs. The startup is one of many that now offer such voices to hire for digital assistants, corporate videos, & even video-game characters. https://www.technologyreview.com/ ... https://soundcloud.com/... VocaliD / @vocalidinc : “... for VocaliD's @TweetRupal the point of AI voices is ultimately not to replicate human performance or to automate away existing voice-over work. Instead, the promise is that they could open up entirely new possibilities.”-by @_KarenHao @techreview https://www.technologyreview.com/ ... Matt Navarra / @mattnavarra : AI voice actors sound more human than ever—and they're ready to hire Bad news for voice over actors https://www.technologyreview.com/ ...