We're living in a really strange time, where the stuff of science fiction movies is starting to become not only realistic, but attainable in our lifetime. New to the list is corporations being able to replicate the voice of a dead relative.
It sounds like the plot to a Black Mirror episode. In fact, it's literally the plot of a Black Mirror episode. And it also might soon become a reality.
In a tech demonstration event, Amazon unveiled the technology with a video of a child asking, "Alexa, can Grandma finish reading me The Wizard of Oz?"
It's the voice of the grandmother, which has been replicated using voice data. The segment ends with the senior vice president and head scientist of Amazon Alexa AI, Rohit Prasad, praising the technology.
Amazon has been able to replicate the voices of celebrities, which required them to spend hours in a sound studio. This newer technology, however, would be able to generate a synthetic voice with mere minutes of audio.
During the presentation, Prashad went on to say, "We are unquestionably living in the golden era of AI, where our dreams and science fiction are becoming a reality."
Not everyone is as excited about this technology as Amazon. Some are questioning privacy and safety, as the technology could be used to replicate a voice without that person's consent. Others find it might be a dangerous precedent.
It definitely feels like an instance of "just because you can, doesn't mean you should." Especially with the ethical concerns many have raised about the technology.
Earlier this week, Microsoft, one of Amazon's biggest competitors, announced that they would be scaling back on synthetic voice offerings, all to "ensure the active participation of the speaker."
Natasha Crampton, head of Microsoft's AI division, said, "This technology has exciting potential in education, accessibility, and entertainment, and yet it is also easy to imagine how it could be used to inappropriately impersonate speakers and deceive listeners."
In fact, synthetic voice "deepfakes" are already prominent online. The technology exists everywhere, and this problem could get worse without any kind of regulations. This is one of the biggest reasons why many are critical of Amazon's announcement.
Nearly all of us have lost loved ones that we'd give anything to hear speak one more time. Prashad said during the presentation, "While AI can’t eliminate that pain of loss, it can definitely make their memories last."
What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
