Technology
UK performers petition government for legal ownership of their voices against AI cloning
More than 80 actors and industry workers signed a letter urging Prime Minister Andy Burnham to enact statutory protections for personal voice rights.
The short version
- Over 80 UK actors, singers, and industry workers—including Matt Lucas, Hugh Bonneville, and Nicola Coughlan—have petitioned the UK government to introduce legislation granting individuals legal ownership of their voices.
- Performers warned that unauthorized AI voice cloning poses an existential threat to their livelihoods and industry as voice theft incidents rise.
- The UK government stated it plans to launch a consultation to evaluate the harms of digital replicas while attempting to safeguard legitimate innovation.
Key facts
- More than 80 performers and creative industry workers, including Matt Lucas, Hugh Bonneville, Nicola Coughlan, and Sandi Thom, signed a letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham calling for legislation on AI voice cloning.[BBC News]
- The campaign demands a legal right for every person in the UK to own their voice.[BBC News]
- Audiobook narrator and campaign co-founder Alice Sockett characterized the proliferation of voice cloning as an existential threat to the performing industry.[BBC News]
- A UK government spokesperson announced that an official consultation will be launched to address the harms of digital replicas while preserving legitimate innovation.[BBC News]
What remains uncertain
- The specific details, scope, and timeline of the government's proposed consultation and potential future legislation remain unspecified.[BBC News]
Sources
- Matt Lucas and Hugh Bonneville among actors calling for law on AI voice cloningBBC News - Entertainment & Arts