Voice cloning technology leverages machine learning algorithms to replicate a person’s voice by analyzing unique patterns such as pitch, rhythm, and tone from audio samples.

Recent advancements in neural networks and deep learning have made voice cloning tools highly realistic, requiring as little as three seconds of audio to produce convincing results.

Initially restricted to experts, voice cloning tools are now widely accessible through free and paid platforms, democratizing their use across industries.

Applications of voice cloning range from enhancing accessibility for individuals with speech impairments to creating localized content for education, gaming, and media industries.

For example, Apple’s Personal Voice feature enables users to train their devices to mimic their voice, offering new communication options for individuals with conditions like ALS.

In media, China Media Group has used AI voice cloning to dub documentaries into English, preserving emotional depth and cultural nuances while expanding global reach.

However, the technology has also been exploited for fraudulent purposes, such as impersonating trusted individuals to extort money or spread misinformation.

High-profile cases include a voice cloning scam where an executive was deceived into transferring $243,000 based on a fake phone call.

Ethical concerns include informed consent, the use of data from deceased individuals, and the potential erosion of trust in digital communications.

Legal frameworks are struggling to keep pace, with gaps in intellectual property protections and varying regulations across regions like Japan and the European Union.

Experts advocate for stricter enforcement mechanisms, certification systems, and public education campaigns to mitigate risks and promote ethical use.

For educators, voice cloning offers potential in creating tailored listening comprehension materials, but its adoption must be balanced with awareness of ethical and legal implications.

Voice cloning technology leverages machine learning algorithms to replicate a person’s voice by analyzing unique patterns such as pitch, rhythm, and tone from audio samples.

Title:

Content: The scary side of artificial intelligence

The pros of AI outweigh the Cons or threats in our day-to-day lives, and there’s no magic pill to protect us from the scary threats of AI.

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  • Updated On Oct 3, 2023 at 03:02 PM IST

Artificial intelligence (AI), as we all know, is the simulation of human intelligence leveraging computer systems and machines. AI programs can continuously learn and evolve with experience. In technical terms, AI systems render the output by churning and analyzing the data for correlations and patterns and help make future predictions using these patterns.

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Today AI is being used extensively in all facets of our lives starting from lifestyle, e-commerce, home appliances, automobiles, navigation, transport, healthcare, agriculture, education, financial planning, chatbots, marketing, cyber security, virtual assistant, industrial automation and many more.

Clearly, we have and are leveraging the strengths of AI to the fullest to automate the routine tasks and make it auto-learn over a period. There’s no doubt that AI has revolutionized the lives of all – organizations, consumers etc. But as they say, “Everything comes at a price”. This analogy is quite true for AI as well, there have been a lot of threats that have emerged using AI and are being utilized by the Cyber criminals to dupe the ignorant users, cause mental stress and extort money.

continued below

Executive Workshop

I’m not going to delve into all of threats but would like to elucidate some of the real ones that have come to the surface recently:

Voice cloning or mimicry

As the name suggests, it uses machine learning algorithms to simulate anyone’s voice. It requires certain voice data to analyze and learn the specific patterns of any individual. There are certain advantages of cloning a voice that can be used in voice assistants, chatbots, navigation systems and other areas. Voice cloning has existed for a while but was restricted to experts who possess the technical knowledge to be able to use the same. But now AI Voice cloning tools are available on the open Internet that anyone can leverage with literally no technical knowledge or cost to clone anyone’s voice. All you need to do is just Google and it will pop up and get a bunch of both free and paid AI Voice cloning tools.

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In fact, recently one of the global leaders in online protection published a report stating how AI is fueling a rise in online voice scams, with just three seconds of audio required to clone a person’s voice. This is extremely creepy. Just imagine, if a Cyber-criminal clones your voice and tricks your near ones by making them believe that they are talking to you, and request for money due to any distress reasons. In fact, these are not assumptions but real-life incidents that are happening across the world every minute.

Deepfakes AI

Deepfakes AI are being used to impersonate an individual by manipulating videos, images, audios, and other content available on the social media platforms using deep learning techniques. It mainly transforms existing content from one person to another. This is another area that has been exploited by the Cyber criminals in the recent past, and there are a few deepfake cases that have made waves on the Internet. One of the most famous ones being Deepfake created by a VFX artist of one of Hollywood’s most famous male actors. This piece was so well made by rendering thousands of pictures using artificial versions of the actor. There are similar Deepfakes incidents involving other global celebrities and leaders. The damage and misuse of the deepfakes videos could be extremely dangerous for the human society and can be used by terrorists to incite riots and create nuisance.

Creating virtual people

This is another area where AI is being used to create people that do not exist. There are a lot of websites that allow you to generate a random image by just specifying the age group, gender & ethnicity, and you can continue to refresh these images at the click of a button. Be mindful of the fact that these images pertain to people that do not exist in this world. On the similar lines, there’s an emerging trend of AI news anchors that possess a human-like appearance and are fed data that they can read using text-to-speech technology. Recently, there's been a surge of AI-Driven robotic new anchors in multiple language channels. While the main objective of this initiative is to provide royalty free or cost-effective human images for branding and other purposes. However, the overuse of these technologies causes Fear of missing out (FOMO), Feeling of inadequacy, dissatisfaction, and isolation may potentially lead to psychological and emotional vulnerabilities.

One of the Hollywood movies, ‘HER’ portrayed an introverted and lonely writer (Joaquin Phoenix) who purchases an AI virtual assistant personified through a female voice to assist him in his writing job. However, when he finds out about its ability to learn and adapt, he falls in love with it. The film delves into emotional vulnerability and the impact of AI on human relationships.

Needless to say, that the pros of AI outweigh the Cons or threats in our day-to-day lives, and there’s no magic pill to protect us from the scary threats of AI. However, there are certain preventive tips that one can follow to mitigate any such risks. Do spread awareness with your family and friends:

  • Set some code words with family, and friends to verify the identity during emergency circumstances
  • Optimize social media presence by limiting your connections with only known contacts and avoid connecting with any unknown ones
  • Avoid saying ‘Yes’ as a greeting while receiving unknown calls as it can be used to authorize credit card charges or other purposes
  • Continuously update privacy settings on social media to allow viewing by friends and family only
  • Avoid clicking on any suspicious links or calls received without proper due diligence
  • Do not share your passwords and other sensitive information with anyone
  • Verify the credentials of any online information before circulating it through various mediums
  • Avoid public Wi-Fi connections offered at coffee shops or airports, which requires to enter password
  • Closely monitor the time spent by younger generation on social media and online gaming
  • Finally, in case of any suspicion, double check and report it to the host site or concerned authorities
The author is the CIO of MOVIN

Disclaimer: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETCIO does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETCIO shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person/organization directly or indirectly.

  • Published On Oct 3, 2023 at 03:02 PM IST

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Deepdub, a film dubbing company, uses an AI to process voice and translate into a different language and promises to preserve what?

What is necessary for voice cloning to work?

Recent advancements in neural networks and deep learning have made voice cloning tools highly realistic, requiring as little as three seconds of audio to produce convincing results.

Title:

Content: Expressionkaspersky.com
What are the mysteries of deep sonic falsification?
The spread of artificial intelligence and easy access to tools capable of altering the truth have led to the emergence of one of the most shocking and disturbing digital manipulation techniques, “deepfake. ”
Deep fakes make it possible to create fake videos, photos and sounds that show individuals saying or doing things they never said or did, and although the most popular version until recently was video, deep fakes are gaining importance day by day.
A historical overview
The first major program to bring the potential of deep voice counterfeiting to the general public was Adobe Voco in 2016, which used artificial intelligence to mimic a person ’ s voice from a short recording.
emoticalipwatchdog.com
The software was scrapped after it was found that it could be used to create false, misleading and dangerous sounds, and since then, advances in neural network technology have enabled increasingly realistic and convincing audio falsifications.
At present, we can find many applications and tools online that use this technology to create fake sounds, where Microsoft has launched an artificial intelligence model called VALL-E that can imitate the human voice with a recording of only three seconds.
Deep sonic falsification
Deep voice falsification aims to create an audio model capable of replicating the actual speaker ’ s voice, but the model must be trained through the speaker ’ s audio recordings, in order to be ready to generate an artificial sound similar to that of the original person.
expressiontelegraph.co.uk
Deep learning and natural language processing techniques are used to analyze the unique patterns and characteristics of sound, some of which include pitch, speed, rhythm and tone, and artificial intelligence uses recordings to deliver an original sound, creating a new audio recording that mimics the speaker ’ s voice to a full degree.
How to Create Deep Audio Counterfeiting
Fake deep voice is created using AI-powered text to speech technology, and this can be done with just a few minutes of recorded speech to train an AI speech model, which can read any text with the target voice.
expressionveritonevoice.com
The original recorded sound must be of sufficient quality to sample the unique characteristics of the speaker ’ s voice, after which AI algorithms analyze the patterns and characteristics of the original sound and learn to mimic them.
This can be done with male and female voices and adaptation to the identity of the speaker, the result is a fake voice recording that mimics the voice of the original person, and in addition to generating speech, these instruments can simulate sounds such as breathing and mouth movements.
Initiatives to combat voice counterfeiting
There are initiatives aimed at combating this increasingly prevalent voice counterfeiting, and some technologies can detect these counterfeit products, such as voice biometrics, an authentication method that uses a person ’ s unique voice pattern to verify their identity.
expressionclt.nliu.ac.in
This pattern includes characteristics such as tone and pitch of the voice, speech speed, and pronunciation, and to use voice biometrics, a person's voice must be captured, after which, its unique characteristics are analyzed as well as the length of the words.
Spectroscopy can also be used, consisting of analyzing acoustic signals to detect unique sound patterns that are difficult to replicate in deep fakes.
There are also tools that can detect the digital traces present in deep voice fakes, because the latter fails to accurately simulate all the variables of the actual voice recording, and therefore, deep fakes may contain breaks in sound or background noise that differ from those expected in the original sound.
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What has the US Federal Trade Commission warned about the use of voice cloning tools?

Difficult to distinguish from human voice

What is necessary for voice cloning to work?

Initially restricted to experts, voice cloning tools are now widely accessible through free and paid platforms, democratizing their use across industries.

Applications of voice cloning range from enhancing accessibility for individuals with speech impairments to creating localized content for education, gaming, and media industries.

Title:

Content: Language No Barrier: New AI tool can clone voice and make it say anything in multiple languages

Imagine former US President Donald Trump speaking in flawless Hindi. A new AI voice cloning tool by ElevenLabs can clone voices and make them say anything in a bunch of different languages. All it needs is a three-second sample clip and a bit of text as the prompt.

Mehul Reuben Das May 03, 2023 13:42:20 IST

Imagine former US President Donald Trump speaking in flawless Hindi. A new AI voice cloning tool by ElevenLabs can clone voices and make them say anything in a bunch of different languages. All it needs is a three-second sample clip and a bit of text as the prompt.

As advanced as AI-based voice cloning has been, there were a few limitations to it. For example, voice generators were mainly bound by the language of the source they were trained in or rather the language of the prompt that was given to them. Now, ElevenLabs, an American AI software developing company has come up with a tool that does away with that limitation.

ElevenLabs’ new AI tool can clone the voice of a person and make it say anything in a bunch of different languages. All it needs is a clear voice sample of about 3 seconds, although it also suggests that the longer the sample, the better will be the results. The new tool even manages to maintain the speaker’s original tone of voice.

Limitless possibilities
The creators expect that this would ‘extend the possibilities’ in a variety of industries such as publishing, gaming creation, and media. “Introducing Eleven Multilingual v1: Our New Speech Synthesis Model! We’re thrilled to launch our new model supporting seven new languages: French, German, Hindi, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish.”

“This advancement expands the horizons for creators, game developers, and publishers, and it paves the way for using generative media to create more localized, accessible, and imaginative content,” the company said.

Following the announcement, Twitter was flooded with comments, with users testing the software on various famous faces.

To demonstrate just how capable the new voice cloning AI tool is, Eluna AI, a platform for AI-content creators experimented with a sample clip of former US President Donald Trump.

In their demo, Eluna AI showcased a small clip of Donald Trump, speaking in his native tongue, English, followed by French, Spanish, German, Hindi and Italian, almost perfectly. The generated samples even gets the accent right, almost if he was a native speaker of the new target language.

Another user changed David Attenborough’s voice to German while the BBC broadcaster discussed the prospects of AI. “With this tool, anyone can do it,” stated the Twitter user. “It’s also worth noting that fraudsters will undoubtedly exploit this one.”

ElevenLabs says that its model was designed to understand the emotion and reasoning underlying words in order to produce natural-sounding and persuasive audio. ElevenLabs has said that some numerals and symbols are currently spoken wrongly, but that it is striving to rectify this.

Who is this new tool meant to help?
The US-based company believes its technology will be valuable in a variety of areas, including education and journalism.

Game developers and publishers can build engaging, localised experiences for worldwide audiences, breaking through language barriers and connecting with players and listeners to maximise engagement and efficiency while maintaining quality and accuracy.

“Educational institutions now have the ability to develop audio content for varied users in their target languages, enhancing language comprehension and even pronunciation abilities, as well as responding to different teaching methods and learning demands,” says the report.

Because of the model’s capacity to produce unique character-like voices, audiobook and content developers may also find it beneficial.

The conundrum of AI voice genertors
Despite its benefits, ElevenLabs’ launch comes amid widespread concern about the wave of new voice cloning technology. An unidentified TikTok user went popular last month after sharing an AI-generated Drake song starring The Weeknd.

It sparked concerns about the grey area of AI-created music and whether it constitutes a copyright violation. Nonetheless, ElevenLabs claims to be ‘fully committed’ to respecting creators’ rights in the midst of technological advancements.

“At Eleven, we think that we should seek to make the best use of emerging technology, but not at any expense,” it stated.

“As we create them, we make every effort to put suitable controls in place that reduce the possibility of detrimental abuse. With this in mind, we are entirely committed to both protecting intellectual property rights and taking action against infringement.”

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Music labels are worried because of AI, thanks to a surprising new song ft. Drake X The Weeknd

Someone used AI to create a whole new song featuring Drake and The Weeknd. But because the singers never sang the song, artists and music labels are worried, how AI voice modulation and AI-generated songs can disrupt the industry.

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Artificial Imposter: 47% of Indian phone users have experienced AI voice scams, highest in the world

About half of Indian adults, or 47%, have experienced AI voice scams, nearly double the global average of 25%. Furthermore, nearly 69% of adults say they can't differentiate between a real and an AI-generated voice.

For example, Apple’s Personal Voice feature enables users to train their devices to mimic their voice, offering new communication options for individuals with conditions like ALS.

Title:

Content: APPLE
iPhone phones will be able to mimic your voice for conversations
Apple launches unique features on iPhones for people with cognitive disabilities
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Later this year, Apple will enable iPhone and tablet users with cognitive disabilities to deal more easily and independently with Assistive Access by launching a feature that makes speech impaired from speaking through its apps or voice calls on its devices.
It is expected that the new feature will enable individuals who do not speak in writing to speak during calls and conversations using Live Speech; people at risk of losing their ability to speak can also use their personal voice to create a composite sound similar to them to communicate with family and friends.
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For users who are blind or have poor vision, Magnifier mode offers Point and Speak, which identifies text that users point to and read aloud to help them interact with physical objects such as home appliances, Apple announced on Tuesday.
The iPhone and iPad will learn the user ’ s voice after training the device for just 15 minutes.
The Live Speech feature will then use Composite Audio to read a user ’ s written text aloud during phone calls, FaceTime conversations, and even in-person conversations.
People will also be able to save commonly used phrases to use during live conversations.
This feature is one of several that aim to make Apple devices more inclusive for people with impairments in cognition, vision, hearing and movement.
Apple has said that people who may experience situations where they lose their voices over time, such as ALS (ALS), could benefit more from the tools.
Apple ’ s senior director of global access policies and initiatives, Sarah Herlinger, said in a blog post: “Accessibility is part of everything we do at Apple. ”
“These groundbreaking features are designed with feedback from members of disability communities at every step of their development, to support a diverse range of users and help people connect in new ways. ”
The new features are due to be rolled out later this year.
While these tools have the potential to meet a real need, they also come at a time when advances in AI have raised alarms about bad actors using convincing fake audio and video – known as “deep fakes ” – to defraud or mislead the public.
In a blog post, Apple said the Personal Voice feature uses “machine learning on the device to keep users ’ information private and secure. ”
Other tech companies have experimented with using artificial intelligence to replicate sound.
Last year, Amazon said it was updating its Alexa system that would allow the technology to imitate any sound, even if a family member is deceased.
(The feature has not yet been launched.)
In addition to voice features, Apple announced Assistive Access, which combines some of the most popular iOS apps, such as FaceTime, Messages, Camera, Photos, Music, and Phone, into a single call app.
Apple is also updating its Magnifier app for the blind.
It will now include detection mode to help people better interact with physical objects.
The update will allow someone, for example, to hold an iPhone camera in front of the microwave and move their finger through the keyboard while the app labels and advertise the text on the microwave buttons.
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What company provided an update that would create the precise imitation of a user's voice to read texts?

In media, China Media Group has used AI voice cloning to dub documentaries into English, preserving emotional depth and cultural nuances while expanding global reach.

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China Media Group Debuts AI-dubbed English Documentary, Pioneering Global Communication

China Media Group launches its first AI-dubbed English documentary, enhancing global reach and fostering international understanding through advanced AI technology.

Aqsa Younas Rana
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In a groundbreaking move, China Media Group has launched its first AI-dubbed English documentary, marking a significant milestone in the use of artificial intelligence for global media outreach. This innovative approach to dubbing not only showcases the advancements in AI technology but also underscores China's ambitions to foster better international communication and understanding. Through this initiative, the documentary, originally produced in Mandarin, has been made accessible to a broader English-speaking audience, enhancing its global reach and impact.

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Revolutionizing Content Accessibility

The application of AI in dubbing the documentary into English reflects a growing trend in leveraging technology to bridge language barriers. Similar to the educational advancements discussed in 'Voice Cloning in Education: Bridging Language Gaps in Learning Environments,' this initiative by China Media Group capitalizes on the potential of AI voice cloning technology. By generating lifelike digital replicas of human voices, the documentary's AI-dubbed version maintains the authenticity of the original narration while making it understandable for English-speaking viewers. This technological leap not only improves accessibility but also ensures the delivery of content with emotional depth and cultural nuances intact.

The launch of this AI-dubbed documentary serves as a testament to China's commitment to enhancing global dialogue and cultural exchange. By removing language barriers, China Media Group is effectively broadening the documentary's audience, enabling people from different parts of the world to gain insights into Chinese culture, history, and perspectives. This initiative aligns with the broader objective of promoting mutual understanding and respect among diverse global communities, paving the way for more inclusive and informed international discourse.

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Setting New Standards in Media Production

China Media Group's pioneering use of AI technology in documentary dubbing sets new standards for media production and distribution. It illustrates the potential of AI to transform traditional media practices, making content more accessible and engaging for global audiences. As AI technology continues to evolve, it is likely to open up further possibilities for creating multilingual content, thereby enhancing the reach and impact of media across borders. This development also raises important considerations regarding the ethical use of voice cloning technology, underscoring the need for guidelines that ensure its responsible application in media and beyond.

As we reflect on the implications of this technological advancement, it becomes clear that AI-dubbed media content holds significant promise for fostering international understanding and cooperation. By making diverse cultural and educational materials available in multiple languages, we can build a more connected and informed world. The initiative by China Media Group not only highlights the practical applications of AI in media but also invites us to contemplate the future of global communication in an increasingly digital age.

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Deepdub, a film dubbing company, uses an AI to process voice and translate into a different language and promises to preserve what?

However, the technology has also been exploited for fraudulent purposes, such as impersonating trusted individuals to extort money or spread misinformation.

Title:

Content: Dangerous techniques of artificial intelligence: "falsification of sound"..
How to protect yourself from them – Al Manar Channel – Lebanon
Lebanese Media Group
Al Manar Channel
Dangerous techniques of artificial intelligence: "falsification of sound"..
How to protect yourself from it.
You should be careful when receiving emergency phone calls, especially when you are asked to transfer money, or provide sensitive information, even if the voice is like the voice of your relatives or friends, in the age of artificial intelligence, counterfeiting surrounds people in all their matters.
Recently, a type of fraud has spread by artificial intelligence applications called "fraud counterfeiting" or "voice manipulation", but you can survive it if you pay attention to these developments, and follow the advice given by two experts in cybersecurity and information technology for the site "Sky News Arabia".
OpenAI, a specialist in generative artificial intelligence, and the creator of the popular chat program “Chat GBT, ” last March, offered a tool for voice cloning that will be limited in use to avoid fraud.
The tool, called Voice Engine, is able to reproduce a person ’ s voice through a 15-second audio sample, according to an OpenAI statement that touched on the results of a small-scale test.
“We recognize that the ability to generate human-like voices is a high-risk step, especially in this election year, ” the statement said, adding that“ we are working with U.S. and international partners from governments, media, entertainment, education, civil society and other sectors, and taking their observations into account. ”
Manipulation and loss of confidence
According to cybersecurity and information technology expert Mohammed Khleif, it has become “very easy ” to use artificial intelligence to make phone calls with sounds that sound familiar to people, and this is called“ voice counterfeiting ” or “voice manipulation. ”
On how this fake sound is made, Khalif says it is done with artificial intelligence programs to imitate known or taken sounds from social media.
One of the perils of using this counterfeiting is to defraud victims in urgent financial requests by deluding them that the caller is known to them, explains Khalif, who warns that such uses may lose confidence in the digital world, negatively affecting the pace of digital transformation.
Cybersecurity and information technology expert Tamer Mohammed calls for caution in the communications we receive, saying that “phone communications by artificial intelligence have spread very widely, and there are applications that implement them without the need for the fraudster to have experience. ”
It is worth mentioning that the frauds reached the most famous figures in the world, including that an adviser working in the presidential campaign of a rival in the Democratic Party of the US President, Joe Biden, invented during the presidential primaries, an automated program that impersonated Biden, and called the fake voice voters not to vote in the New Hampshire elections.
The voices of celebrities such as English artist Stephen Fry and London Mayor Sadiq Khan have also been cloned and attributed to them statements that caused them inconvenience or embarrassment, and one of the executives, who was not named, was exposed to fraud that caused him to transfer $243,000 to the fraudster after receiving a fake phone call, according to the British newspaper “Daily Mail ”.
How do we protect ourselves from fraud?
To counter this new threat, Mohammed Khalif and Tamer Mohammed offer these tips when receiving phone calls, or listening to voices without seeing them:
Always question the authenticity of the communication, even if the sound is familiar, especially when it seems urgent.
Try to communicate with the person who is supposed to be calling through a different means of communication that you check.
Be careful to provide personal information or financial statements during a call that you did not initiate yourself.
- Do not access the link of an account or an unknown website; because through it the phone is hacked, uses voice recordings and knows the voice of the person.
- Not to agree to the terms of any program without checking them and knowing the application well.
Source: Sky News
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What are some risks regarding AI voice clning?

What do cybersecurity experts believe about the use of synthesized voice?

could become a popular method of attacking banks and financial services

High-profile cases include a voice cloning scam where an executive was deceived into transferring $243,000 based on a fake phone call.

What do cybersecurity experts believe about the use of synthesized voice?

could become a popular method of attacking banks and financial services

Ethical concerns include informed consent, the use of data from deceased individuals, and the potential erosion of trust in digital communications.

Title:

Content: Amazon Alexa reproduces the voice of friends and relatives to remember the dead or help to cheat?
Author: 01 Weekly Report
Published: Updated:
Tech giant Amazon last week hosted its annual developer conference re: MARS to introduce AI applications in machine learning, automation, robotics and space.
A short demonstration video was shown.
A child asked the Panda ’ s child-themed voice assistant, “Alexa, can grandmother continue to tell me the story of The Wizard of Oz? ” Alexa answered“ OK ” with its preset voice line, then switched to another voice that sounded closer to humans and read the plot of the Cowardly Lion seeking self-confidence.
Rohit Prasad, Alexa ’ s chief scientist, introduced at the conference that Alexa can mimic a voice line with less than a minute of recorded content: “The way we do this is by defining the problem as a speech-to-speech task, not a speech-generating path. ”
Amazon has in the past developed voice synthesis technology that allows Alexa to mimic the voice of basketball star Shaquille O ’ Neal or comedian Melissa Mccarthy.
At that time, the practice was relatively backward, requiring someone to record a large amount of audio for a long time.
In contrast, Alexa, the new voice imitation function, is said to be based on recent advances in text-to-speech technology, which can generate high-quality, like-for-like sound lines with less data.
Alexa Chief Scientist Rohit Prasad told re: MARS 2022 that the company is developing AI to reproduce the voice of the deceased family and friends, hoping to deepen the “humanity ” of the AI voice assistant. (Amazon re: MARS 2022 YouTube clip screenshot)
For example, he claims that this advancement in AI can enable consumers to maintain “lasting personal relationships ” with their deceased relatives:“ While AI cannot eliminate the pain of losing a loved one, it can definitely make memories last … There is no doubt that we are living in the golden age of AI, and our dreams and science fiction are becoming a reality. ”
After Amazon announced the latest feature of Alexa, it also caused a lot of negative reviews on the Internet, from the social media Twitter, users criticized the feature as "disturbing", "sick", or they do not want it.
As Tama Leaver, a professor of Internet studies at Curtin University in Australia, points out, the line between humans and machines is beginning to blur in such applications: “You won ’ t remember whether you ’ re talking to Amazon ’ s data collection service or to the voice of your grandparents or a deceased loved one. ”
In a way, it ’ s kind of like the story of Black Mirror. ”
Some scholars have pointed out that the use of AI to reproduce voice lines involves security and ethical issues such as fraud risk, informed consent, and ownership, and should be considered early before such technology is popularized. (Replica)
Leaver also pointed out that the new feature of Alexa has an informed consent problem in the production.
Using the data of the deceased in this way, he said, “is both creepy and unethical, because the deceased himself may not have thought that his data would be so used after death. ”
Subbarao Kambhampati, a professor of computer science at the University of Arizona, agrees: “For people who are grieving, this technology may actually help, as we look back and watch videos of the deceased.
But it also raises serious ethical questions, such as, is it okay to do this without the consent of the deceased? ”
Some scholars and experts have pointed out that AI simulation sound lines may have security and ethical issues.
In terms of security, there are concerns that this technology could be used as a fake scam.
Rachel Tobac, CEO of security firm SocialProof Security, warns that society is not prepared for the risk that this voice technology will be exploited by criminals: “If cybercriminals can easily and reliably copy another person ’ s voice with a small number of voice samples, they can use that voice sample to impersonate others, which could lead to fraud, data and account theft. ”
For more information, please read the 323 issue of Hong Kong 01 e-Weekly (27 June 2022), "Amazon Alexa Recurring the Voice of Friends and Family to Remember the Dead or Help to Cheat?".
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Legal frameworks are struggling to keep pace, with gaps in intellectual property protections and varying regulations across regions like Japan and the European Union.

Title:

Content: Legal Safeguards for Intellectual Property Weak on AI; Japanese Govt Panel Notes Issues, Offers Little Remedy

The draft outline of a government panel’s interim report has acknowledged that Japan’s existing laws are limited in their ability to prevent infringements of intellectual property rights by artificial intelligence technologies. It calls on AI operators to voluntarily make efforts to protect those rights.

The outline approved Thursday by the panel tasked with discussing the protection of intellectual property rights in the era of AI also underlined the importance of providing some compensation to creators and other rights holders, but did not go as far as to call for new legislation governing AI.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi touched on the issue of protecting intellectual property rights during his press conference the same day. “Additional efforts must be promoted through an appropriate combination of laws, technologies and contracts at each stage,” Hayashi said.

When instructed to imitate the painting style of a given artist, generative AI can easily produce a picture that looks like an artwork the artist might have created. Similarly, this technology can easily generate a voice by learning the voices of real-life singers and voice actors.

Creators around the world have become increasingly concerned that their rights could be infringed by AI, which can very easily learn artworks and mimic skills that human creators used their ability and effort to develop.

The draft outline explicitly states that there are instances in which current laws cannot respond to such situations. Abilities nurtured during the creation of artworks, and literary or artistic “styles” that do not lend themselves to precise definitions, fall outside what is protected under the Copyright Law, and the outline explains that the possibility of things such as the “voice” of a voice actor being protected as a form of publicity rights by the law “cannot be said to be high.”

In addition, based on moves to introduce AI regulations in Europe and the United States, the outline states that the “formation of international rules and international standardization might be necessary.”

The European Union has passed AI legislation that includes penalties for violations of AI development and operation rules, and this will start being applied in 2026. By contrast, momentum for crafting a similar legal framework in Japan has not been growing.

A Cabinet Office official said the draft outline was not intended to be a channel “for offering an opinion on creating something new, but rather something arranged based on current laws.”

Uniform measures ‘difficult’

The draft outline also suggested that creators could be protected by way of having “profits returned” in the event that their work is used for learning by AI.

Individual creators and AI operators are not on an equal footing when it comes to bargaining power. Accordingly, the outline called on these operators to establish opportunities to properly adjust and reconcile usage conditions and other details with the creators.

The Copyright Law allows the training of AI models with copyrighted material without permission from copyright holders. However, the outline said that even in these cases it would be “possible” to reach an agreement with copyright holders on providing compensation to them, and that “it could be expected” that AI operators would offer such compensation.

However, the draft outline also stated that establishing “uniform, systematic measures” would be difficult. As things stand, it will be up to operators to take it upon themselves to make efforts on this issue.

Experts advocate for stricter enforcement mechanisms, certification systems, and public education campaigns to mitigate risks and promote ethical use.

Title:

Content: Freedom Square (Beishe Review) Policy response strategy for artificial intelligence deep counterfeiting and voice copying technology
◎ Cai Yue Ting
Deep hypocrisy and voice copying are technologies that use artificial intelligence to generate fake or manipulative media that can be used for a variety of purposes, including entertainment, education, and journalism.
If it is abused for fraud and the dissemination of false information, it will damage the reputation and rights of the individual, and it will affect social order and national security.
Because there are major potential hazards, it is necessary to formulate relevant regulations and effective management, and it can promote the healthy development of this innovative industry.
Consolidating practice cases to standardize policy measures to manage deep counterfeiting and voice copying can go hand in hand with the following aspects:
I. Regulations:
The content of the bill should include: (1) clearly stipulate the legal and illegal use of deep counterfeiting and voice copying to protect personal and national security and rights; (2) establish effective enforcement mechanisms and regular amendments to ensure the effective implementation of the law and adapt to the rapid development of technology; (3) use ethics education and advocacy; and (4) specify appropriate punitive measures.
2. Technical supervision:
(1) Establish an effective enforcement mechanism, consisting of experts with professional knowledge and technical ability, to (1) supervise the development and application of deep counterfeiting and voice reproduction technology to ensure that the use of the technology complies with laws, regulations and ethical standards; (2) adhere to the principle of minimum intervention, and strike a balance between protecting personal privacy and preventing abuse; and (3) promote the sound development of the industry.
Restrictions on use: Restrictions on the use of deep counterfeiting and voice copying technologies, especially in sensitive areas such as finance, politics, law, and medicine, and where they may have a serious impact on personal privacy.
Transparency and Authentication: (1) Require developers and users of deep counterfeiting and voice copying technologies to provide transparency to ensure that users are informed and consent to the use of their data.
(2) Establish a certification mechanism to ensure that only accredited institutions and individuals can use these technologies.
(4) Technical research: Encourage research on deep counterfeiting and voice copying technologies, especially research on detecting and preventing abuse, and research on how to protect personal privacy.
Participation, use of ethics education and public awareness: to strengthen the education of the public and related industries, and to raise awareness of the potential risks of deep counterfeiting and voice copying technology.
Authorities should provide corresponding preventive measures and education and training.
The development of deep counterfeiting and voice reproduction technology has brought many potential risks, but it is also an integral part of the country ’ s sustainable development.
This industry requires the participation of multiple stakeholders, how to ensure that these technologies are used responsibly and ethically through legal, technical and educational means, and to minimize their potential hazards, to the rapid and vigorous development of the industry is a matter of urgency.
(The author is Deputy Secretary General of Beishe, Director of Research and Development of the Institute for Information Technology)
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