Voice cloning, a contested celebrity status symbol, has targeted figures like Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, and more, using AI to mimic their voices. Fraudsters employ advanced technologies to replicate voices with nuanced intonations, as seen when David Attenborough’s voice was misused in partisan news bulletins. Legal protections struggle to keep pace, leaving limited recourse for victims. Dr. Dominic Lees, an AI expert advising the UK Parliament on ethical tech use, highlights the inadequacy of current privacy and copyright laws. He stresses government regulation is vital to curb misuse, especially as UK voice-cloning scams rose by 30% last year.

Scams include AI-mimicked voices used in “hi mum” schemes, urging vigilance by verifying through trusted numbers. The unauthorized use of one's voice goes beyond nuisance; it's identity theft, as Attenborough and Scarlett Johansson have experienced. AI voices might eerily mimic celebrities but lack understanding of emotional inflection, an area where human touch remains unique. In response, the voiceover industry is rapidly adapting, implementing AI cloning technologies yet recognizing AI's current emotional limitations. Joe Lewis from the Voiceover Gallery notes AI's effective mimicry of English male voices but finds it falls short of capturing genuine human emotional range.