An actor leading a campaign for greater protection against artificial intelligence voice cloning has warned the voice industry is “facing an existential threat”.
Peter Caulfield, who stars in Channel 4’s drama Tip Toe, said it did not take long to get support from high-profile stars including Downton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville and Derry Girls actress Nicola Coughlan.
His petition has more than 4,000 signatures, with the government announcing a consultation on how to “address these harms, while protecting legitimate innovation”.
Caulfield, who grew up in Mapperley, Nottinghamshire, said: “People were genuinely wanting to get involved and wanting to engage.”
The founder of Save Our Voices Now told the BBC he first started looking into the issue when he realised there was little protection for actors and voice artists when it came to AI.
Caulfield, who also starred in EastEnders and Doctor Who, said his research showed him it only took “seconds” for some AI technology to replicate a voice.
“The work is being decimated and companies are choosing to use AI voices,” he said.
“What we really need is the government to step in and add in some regulations which would also act as a deterrent too.”