New Survey Shows Actors with Unique Voices at Greatest Risk of AI Voice Cloning

AI voice cloning presents significant risks for celebrities: The rapid advancement of AI voice cloning technology has raised concerns about potential misuse, particularly for celebrities with distinctive voices.

Survey findings reveal most vulnerable celebrities:

• Arnold Schwarzenegger tops the list, with 61% of respondents agreeing his voice is the easiest to replicate due to his distinctive accent
• Donald Trump’s voice is considered easy to copy by 39% of respondents, attributed to its familiarity from frequent media appearances
• Kim Kardashian’s consistent tone and pitch make her voice easy to replicate according to 23% of those surveyed

Methodology and survey details:

• The survey, conducted by AI voice cloning technology company Podcastle, involved 1,000 U.S. participants
• Celebrities included in the multiple-choice survey were selected based on their combined search volume across Google and TikTok for “[celebrity name] + impression”

Recent controversies highlight the issue:

• Scarlett Johansson expressed shock and anger upon discovering that ChatGPT’s voice response feature sounded eerily similar to her own
• Johansson had previously declined an offer to be the voice of ChatGPT, raising questions about the ethics of AI voice replication without consent

Industry response and limitations:

• Some voice cloning technologies have faced bans due to their controversial nature
• ChatGPT released a text-to-voice tool with limited availability, generating natural speech from a 15-second clip

Podcastle’s role and stance:

• The company deploys generative AI-driven features in its podcasting platform, including voice generation from text
• Podcastle recently raised $13.5M in a Series A funding round led by Mosaic Ventures
• CEO Arto Yeritsyan emphasizes the need for responsible use of AI voice technology, balancing innovation with user protection and education

Public preferences for AI voice applications:

• Morgan Freeman emerged as the most popular choice for voice assistant technology (24%) and as a potential celebrity podcast host (11%)
• The primary reason for Freeman’s popularity is his reputation as an engaging storyteller (41%)

Broader implications: As AI voice cloning technology continues to evolve, the entertainment industry and policymakers face increasing pressure to establish guidelines and safeguards. The potential for misuse of celebrity voices raises complex questions about identity protection, consent, and the future of digital media authenticity.