David Attenborough Expresses Disturbance Over AI Cloning of His Voice

Natural history presenter Sir David Attenborough has expressed his deep disturbance after his voice was cloned by advanced AI technology. The incident came to light when the BBC played a clip from Attenborough’s nature documentary followed by an AI-generated version, which listeners found indistinguishable from the original.

Attenborough’s voice has been used by online outlets in the US to deliver news bulletins on various topics, including recent elections and the war in Ukraine. Attenborough stated, “Having spent a lifetime trying to speak what I believe to be the truth, I am profoundly disturbed to find these days my identity is being stolen by others and greatly object to them using it to say whatever they wish.

This is not an isolated incident; other celebrities such as Morgan Freeman and Scarlett Johansson have also faced similar issues with AI-generated versions of their voices being used without their consent. Freeman recently addressed a viral video using an AI version of his voice, while Johansson has hired legal counsel after alleging that OpenAI used her voice’s likeness without permission.

Experts warn that the capabilities of AI will continue to grow, making it increasingly difficult for consumers to differentiate between real and AI-generated content. James O’Brien, a computer science professor at the University of California, Berkeley, noted, “I’m very confident in saying that in the long run, it will be impossible to tell the difference between a generated image and a real one.