Voice Actor sue tech company for stealing their voice

Voice Actors Fight Back: Legal Action Against tech company for stealing their voices

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Last summer, Paul Skye Lehrman a voice actor from New York City, experienced something shocking while listening to a podcast. The episode featured an interview with an AI entity discussing the impact of artificial intelligence on the entertainment industry. To Paul’s horror, the AI was using his own voice! Last week BBC upload a video on this issue on their youtube channel

The Moment of Realization of Voice Actors:

Paul recalls that moment as both disturbing and terrifying. He spent hours online, searching for text-to-speech tools to see if any could replicate his voice. During this search, he found a company called Lovo, based in Berkeley, which offered a range of synthetic voices. When he heard a voice that sounded just like his own, he was stunned.

Feeling curious, he started listening to other voices from the platform. To his dismay, he found many familiar voices of his colleagues from voice actors over world, all potentially stolen and used without consent.

Taking Legal Action

In May, Paul and his partner a voice actor filed a class action lawsuit against Lovo. They claim the company illegally used their voices and identities without permission or fair compensation. As of now, Lovo has not responded to these allegations.

So, how did this happen? Back in October 2019, Paul recorded some generic radio ads for a freelancing site. The scripts were simple, and the client assured him they would never be broadcast. However, months later, he was asked to record more scripts, with the user claiming the audio was for research into speech synthesis. Paul believed he was just helping with a project, not knowing it would lead to his voice being cloned.

The Legal and Ethical Issues

This case raises significant questions about rights of publicity, which protect individuals from having their personality, including their voice, used without permission. Legal experts note that the agreements Paul signed may have been violated since they were not meant for commercial use.

The technology used by Lovo is designed to capture the unique tones and accents of a person’s voice with just about 50 sentences of recorded speech. This means a user can easily create a convincing clone of someone else’s voice.

The Bigger Picture

Paul’s situation is part of a growing trend where artists and creators are standing up against companies that misuse their work. Many are concerned about losing control over their voices and livelihoods as AI continues to evolve. As Paul puts it, “When companies develop technology this way, it’s not innovation anymore—it’s exploitation.”

As this story unfolds, it serves as a crucial reminder of the ethical implications of AI in creative fields. Voice actors and other artists are fighting back, determined to protect their rights in this rapidly changing landscape.

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