The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on jobs and everyday living has been widely discussed. The audio book industry is already experiencing significant transformation due to the use of AI-generated recordings. The technology is capable of creating human-sounding recordings at assembly-line speed, circumventing the need for human professionals who have traditionally made a living with their voices.
The Impact on Voice Actors
Tanya Eby, a full-time voice actor and professional narrator for 20 years, has experienced a 50% drop in workload in the past six months. Her colleagues report similar declines. AI-generated recordings are not labeled as such, but thousands of audio books in circulation use “voices” generated from a databank. DeepZen, a small London-based company, has created a database by recording the voices of several actors who spoke in a variety of emotional registers. The company offers rates that can reduce the cost of producing an audio book to one-fourth or less than that of a traditional project.
The Future of AI-Generated Content
Several traditional publishers are already using generative AI, which can create texts, images, videos, and voices from existing content without human intervention. The giants of US technology, including Apple and Google, are pursuing the promising business of digitally narrated audio books. While some voice actors fear their work may become obsolete, Dima Abramov, CEO of Speechki, argues that the growing market will benefit voice actors. He believes that synthetic narration will open the door for old books that have never been recorded and that all future books can be recorded because of the cost benefits of AI technology.
In conclusion, the audio book industry is already experiencing significant disruption from AI-generated recordings. While some voice actors fear for their livelihood, others argue that the technology will democratize the industry and provide greater access to audio books for independent authors and small publishers. However, there are concerns about the lack of emotional connectivity in AI-generated recordings, and it is important for companies to be transparent about their use of the technology.
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