A quick note, for anyone seeking my thoughts on the recent frenzied convo around AI.
AI that has been around for years, but is currently a buzzword that’s difficult for me to engage with, without weighty academic discourse. Give me sum gritty! Real! Sum I can sink my teeth into, like AI in acting.
The objective truth is, we are not yet ready for the ethical, equitable or cybersafe use of AI in on camera theatrical/television productions nor voice acting. Not until these questions are answered.
This most neatly sums up my concerns w/ AI and generative art as a voice actor, especially as it related to hard-fought protections from our actors’ professional union, SAG-AFTRA:
My most pressing thoughts were brilliantly articulated by this original and important letter from fellow actor Dominic Burgess:
“What real, tangible protections are in place?
Is SAG-AFTRA opening a dedicated AI department? To deal with claims, handle questions about digital double requests, hear queries about if a request for consent is reasonable, for claims where synthetic AI generated characters might too closely resemble a real life actor?
AI generated characters are already being developed for movies. This isn’t something that is happening down the line. This is happening now.
What are the actions that performers can take if we wish to remove consent if, say for example, an episode airs and our facsimiles look dead behind the eyes and have no inner life?
Where are our digital doubles and likenesses stored? What protections are in place in case of data breaches?
… In the event of our likenesses being stolen by third-parties, what legal standing do we have if our likenesses are then used beyond our consent? Is this a case by case action that the performer has to uptake themselves?
If that company is absorbed into a larger conglomerate company, does that company then own our digital double?”
As actors we do not want our paid talent to be replaced by synthetic voices.
I’ve already had my physical likeness used and sold without my knowledge by manual imitation on the blockchain. Who’s to stop someone from plugging in my voice to a very hungry, automatic learning machine, after which point it will be nearly impossible to track, extract, and get compensated for?
I love and use AI tools daily to further my business and productivity as an entrepreneur, especially when baked into software I already love. But AI voices will not be one of them, going forward. Paying freelance voice actors (as I have done) for unique performances is the future I want to live and work in.
Joy
JOY OFODU | From Joy to the World 