Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about new technology enhancing and helping us, but the world seems to have gone a bit crazy with AI, like I do with eating a huge bar of Cadbury’s chocolate – a bit fruity and nutty. 
Now, whatever your opinions are on this subject matter, AI isn’t going away anytime soon. However, if you are like me, then you will always appreciate the human touch. Just like we did in the COVID lockdowns, we desperately urged for that human contact and real-life connection.
I don’t want it to take our jobs away, but rather to make our lives simpler and easier, not harder.
There are so many stories of using AI, and sadly, not for the greater good. In the creative world, many clients say it’s sometimes costing them more in time and money in the end than just employing and using a professional voiceover. Also, hearing all the sad stories of VO’s voices being cloned and sold on to third parties is just so wrong.
So I decided to create a panel for MPTS 2025 after working with IBM, titled “Safeguarding Your IP in the Age of AI.” I have had first-hand experience of working with IBM, ensuring my voice is being used in the right way and that I would be protected. I was fortunate in this case alone, but sadly, other voice actors and professional creatives have been taken advantage of. It’s not right and it’s not fair.
Here’s a little clip from it…
So, where are we with AI and being protected? Well, sadly, this is going to be a slow process as the legislation is taking forever, and we are in a bubble right now where it’s really going to take a couple of years before we can really have full clarity and protection.
My advice is to ask questions of your clients, production houses or whoever you are dealing with. Where is it going, what is it for and for how long? It’s in all parties’ interest to know the full details and be transparent. Make sure you have a contract in place and ensure both parties agree that none of it will be used for cloning or sold on to third parties without your written consent and payment for this usage. It all boils down to communication and CLEAR communication at that. We need to support one another to protect our assets- our voice, our face, our studios, our livelihoods. Working together for a better result. As my favourite saying goes, ‘Treat people the way you want to be treated’. Be kind. Be fair.
Check out Equity’s website or SAG-AFTRA in America for where we are and how we can protect ourselves better.
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