Hearing your own voice pronouncing words you've never uttered before can be quite unsettling. However, living in this AI-driven era of 2024, such developments are almost expected. It's no surprise now that AI can clone your voice and replicate it almost perfectly. What's startling, at least for me, is how simple the process has become. You can find free AI voice cloners online, clone your voice, and make it say anything in just a few minutes. The training phase takes merely 30 seconds, and there are no significant security measures or limitations on its use. This means you could potentially use it inappropriately, like making it swear or threaten someone, as there seem to be few guardrails in place. To find a voice cloner, type 'AI Voice Cloner' into Google, and you'll see numerous options. Some require a monthly fee before cloning your voice, though many offer free versions. I tested a few and found most of them, despite claims of high accuracy, generated a robotic-sounding voice that wasn’t convincing at all. I aimed to create a voice clone that could deceive my wife. I eventually chose Speechify for voice cloning because it was user-friendly, offered full access, and required only 30 seconds for training. After creating a free account on Speechify, you can speak into a microphone for a short duration to train the AI.

You can then input text and click Generate to hear it spoken in your voice. If security is a concern, Speechify’s privacy policy assures users that their information will never be sold and that their privacy is protected—meaning your voice data is solely for your use. I believed my creation was convincing, but I needed my wife's opinion. I played a sample clip behind her, and although she laughed knowing it came from my MacBook speakers, she was impressed. "It sounds like you, but better, " she remarked. The advantage of cloning your voice is its flawless delivery—no "ums" or "ahs, " just perfection. Considering the numerous times I've recorded podcast intros only to re-record due to mistakes, I see a clear application for AI voice cloning. However, this capability poses risks since the cloned voice can say virtually anything. Even beyond potential voice theft in scams, the security implications extend posthumously. For instance, the late British talk show host Michael Parkinson is launching a new podcast called Virtually Parkinson, using AI to revive his voice for real-time interviews. While Parkinson's estate supports this, what if unauthorized cloning occurs? David Attenborough, the iconic figure of BBC natural history programming, voiced concerns over an AI version of his voice, calling it "disturbing. " We now live in an era where AI can autonomously generate podcasts and even AI sports presenters are emerging. So, while the ease of AI voice cloning shouldn't shock us, its profound implications are significant. AI now allows celebrities, or their estates, to continue "working" long after passing away, casting an uncertain future for both famous figures and ordinary people. You might also like. . .