AI Voice Cloning by SIQI HONG

Artificial Intelligence (AI) voice cloning is a technology that creates synthetic copies of human voices. It has various implications, including transforming the entertainment industry and helping those who have lost their ability to speak. However, it also raises ethical concerns, as it can be misused without consent. There have been cases of voice actors whose voices were cloned without permission, leading to legal shortcomings. AI voice cloning has been used for illegal activities such as fraud and identity theft. One scam involves using AI-generated voices to impersonate individuals and trick victims into believing they are communicating with someone they trust. Regulations are needed to address the ethical and legal issues surrounding AI voice cloning. Current laws are struggling to keep up with advancements in AI technology, making it difficult to prosecute criminals. Public awareness and education are crucial in preventing misuse and phishing. It is important to develop regulati Is it possible for Artificial Intelligence to mimic the voice and text of any person? The answer is yes. This might sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it's very much a reality in our current tech landscape. Welcome to today's topic of Artificial Intelligence Voice Cloning. We're exploring the cutting-edge technology, where innovation meets ethical problems. What is an AI voice cloning? In simple sentence, it's a technology that creates synthetic copies of human voices. The implications of this technology are vast, including transforming the entertainment industry and personalizing virtual assistants. AI voice cloning can also give a voice back to those who have lost their ability to speak due to illness or accidents. And it can even bring historical figures to life by recreating their voice. However, the power of AI to create convincing copies of real human voices might lead to confusion, fear, and potential misuse. Now, to illustrate, let's discuss the case of Michael Kovach, a voice actor whose voice was cloned by a YouTuber to make a VR chat video without his consent. Michael expressed his worries, stating that, Please do not AI synthesize my voice. It actually makes me feel genuinely fear. But the YouTuber refused to apologize or take down the video, claiming that he is an expectant father and needs to make such movies to raise his child. At the same time, he believes that using an AI voice clone of Michael's voice for videos does not feel like current laws. Many voice actors have come forward to condemn this YouTuber's unethical behavior, but this also reflects the current legal shortcomings of AI voice cloning. Michael's experience is not an isolated one. It represents a growing concern among professionals whose voices are their livelihoods. The ease with which their vocal identities can be replicated and used without perversion poses a significant threat to their careers and personal security. Michael also commented that, What I fear is the ability for anybody to have access to a realistic creation of another person's natural voice and use it however they wish. His concerns are not unfounded, as AI voice cloning has been applied to illegal and criminal activities in recent years. Cases of fraud, identity theft, and even practical manipulation have been reported. where cloned voices were used to create believable but entirely fabricated audio recordings. Well, today we will focus on one aspect. The voice vision, also called vision, represents another dark side of AI voice cloning. This scam involves callers using AI-generated voices to impersonate individuals, tricking victims into believing they are communicating with a trusted one. Such frauds may result in serious emotional or financial damage, and one of the recent common AI-related scams targets the parents of international students. I've seen many victims sharing their experience online and through the social media, I was able to get in touch with Vivian, whose mother received such a vision call. Hi Vivian, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Would you like to share with us the vision event your mother experienced in last year's October? Sure, and thank you for having me here to share this experience that I think is important to let more people be aware of. So it was around 1pm in China, which my mother received a call that brings such a horror. The other end of the call is a male with a Cantonese accent, claimed I was kidnapped in the UK. Adding to the horror, he played a recording of someone crying out, Mom, save me, which is assembled in my voice, and the scammer demanded a ransom of £50,000 to be transferred to his account within 30 minutes. Otherwise, I would be beaten or even killed. His tone was not just menacing, but outright vile. That's horrible. So how did your mother react to such a shocking amount? Especially under the threat of her safety. She was petrified, well, understandably, but thankfully her awareness of anti-scam measures kicked in, and she immediately reported the incident to the police. It's really a relief that the situation didn't escalate further. Yeah, and meanwhile, because of the difference in time zone, I was asleep, completely unaware of the unfolding drama, until the police managed to reach me through my roommate. It seems that the scammers operate a crime across time zones. That's incredibly cunning. I also wonder that, have you had any idea on how they replicate a voice? It was baffling. Only after connecting with other international students who had encountered similar experience did a pattern emerge. Many of us have received calls from a so-called anti-fraud centre. You mean they even pretend to be someone who's promoting fraud prevention? Did he let you do something so special? Yeah, I was led into a lengthy conversation, which I now believe was recorded and used against me. Thanks for sharing your story, Vivian. Vivian's situation didn't lead to any financial hit, but let's be clear, this vision can pack a serious punch, as one unfortunate parent loses £30,000 in a single case. And getting that kind of money back can be very difficult because of the international banking complexities. Ethics problems of AI voice-calling need Laos to regulate it. But current Laos are struggling to catch up with the pace of AI advancements, even victims and their families in the fighting battles they'd never signed up for. The missions of AI voice-calling for Vision exploit legal grey areas, making it hard to prosecute these faceless criminals. Moreover, it's one thing to have laws on books and it's another to enforce them, especially when technology leaves boundaries and scammers operate from corners of the world where legal reach is limited. Addressing the ethical and legal issues of AI voice-calling will indeed be a marathon. With examples like Michael and Vivian's, it's clear that we need to update our policies on AI voice-calling. To gain deeper insights, I conducted a phone interview with Alex, a PhD student studying AI at a university in California, to hear his point of view on the matter. Welcome, Alex. What's your opinion of the rights of voice-calling and voice-finishing using artificial intelligence? And how do our current Laos tackle these issues? Well, thanks for having me. In my opinion, the current regulations are not fully equipped to tackle the challenges posed by AI voice synthesis, especially in the context of Vision. The California AIWARE Act represents an initial effort to govern the use of generative AI technologies, and federal agencies, including the Department of Energy, are also being considered for allocations to support non-defensive AI research. But it's just not enough. The sophistication of AI in mimicking human voices has outpaced existing legal frameworks, making it easier for scammers to exploit these technologies for voice-fishing attacks. It's really insightful, thank you. It's just we've got a big gap in our Laos when it comes to keeping up with AI voice tech. So what kind of regulation change do you think we need to fix this? Well, I think we need regulations that specifically address the unique threats posed by AI-driven voice-fishing. This includes requiring transparent disclosure when a voice is AI-generated, especially in sensitive contexts like banking or personal identification. Additionally, international cooperation is crucial, as these scams often cross borders. Establishing clear guidelines and ethical standards for AI voice synthesis with a focus on consent and privacy will be the key to mitigating the risks associated with these technologies. Besides, on my own, enhancing public awareness and education is essential in addressing AI voice misuse and phishing. Agencies and governments should collaborate with academia and the tech industry to establish best practices in AI ethics and security. Thank you for the insights, Alex. It's important that we develop regulations that keep up with technological progress to protect individuals from the potential harms of AI voice cloning, especially in preventing AI clones' voice misuse and phishing. Well, AI voice cloning definitely has two sides of it. We must leverage its advantages while limiting its useful and unethical behaviors. Going forward, it's super important to get everyone talking, technologists, legal experts, and the public, to make sure we are moving into the AI future the right way, with a sharp focus on ethics and a strong commitment to protecting everyone's rights and privacy. Well, this is the end of my channel. I hope you enjoyed all of this and thank you so much to join me today.