There’s a Bad Rep for AI in the Voice Acting Industry. But Voice Talents Can Embrace AI — And Protect Their Rights.

Artificial intelligence is getting a bad rep in the voice acting industry, and the rep isn’t unsubstantiated. Considering the ways AI is transforming the media production field, voice actors are among the various creative professionals voicing concerns about the deployment, use-cases, and protections from AI disruption. At a recent Comic Con event, voice actors protested against the unchecked adoption of AI in the entertainment sector. Voice actors’ concerns were further exacerbated by a contract clause by Hi-Rez Studios, which allowed the simulation of their voices if they died or were incapacitated. Despite these concerns, experts believe AI has the power to redefine the art of storytelling. So, how does AI in the voice acting industry have the potential to change it for the better?

The voiceover industry is on the brink of a transformative shift. And as the industry evolves, embracing AI becomes crucial for voice artists seeking a broader reach. Not only does AI streamline production, but it also provides access to a range of vocal styles and languages. Coupled with innovations like text-to-speech, these capabilities can broaden the horizon for voice artists. However, experts highlight the importance of voice artists protecting their rights while shooting generative AI projects.

Heralded as the leading conference for natural language and generative AI, the VOICE & AI event brought together the global generative AI community in Washington, DC. Lotas Production Director Jim Kennelly, whose company aims to connect clients with global voices, has over three decades of experience in the voiceover industry. Kennelly, who attended VOICE & AI and took some time to speak with MarketScale, emphasized how voice talents can unlock unprecedented opportunities posed by AI in the voice acting industry.

Kennelly’s Thoughts

“There’s a new voiceover economy that’s being built right now. It’s going to include the voiceover world that we all understand and have been involved in for the last 10, 20, 30 years, but there’s also a brand new voice economy that’s going to augment your experience as a voice talent and give you opportunities to use your storytelling gifts in a brand new way, in ways that you haven’t even imagined yet.

As a voice talent, if you’d like to be prepared for the new voice economy that’s coming, you really need to start to educate yourself about conversational AI, generative AI. When you start to understand it better, you’re going to be able to then come in front of people like my company, Lotus Productions, that’s designing contracts that are specifically designed to protect your rights as a voice talent, so you know exactly what you’re getting involved in when we bring a generative AI project to you to audition for, maybe be cast on, and then start to make some money through it.”

Article written by MarketScale.