On Friday, OpenAI unveiled a voice-cloning tool called Voice Engine. However, the company plans to keep it under tight control until safeguards are in place to prevent audio fakes designed to deceive listeners.
The tool can essentially duplicate someone’s speech based on a 15-second audio sample, as demonstrated in a small-scale test.
OpenAI acknowledges the serious risks associated with generating speech that resembles people’s voices, especially in an election year.
To address these concerns, OpenAI is actively engaging with U.S. and international partners from various sectors, including government, media, entertainment, education, and civil society.
Their goal is to incorporate feedback and ensure responsible development.
Voice cloning tools have become increasingly accessible, cheap, and difficult to trace, leading to fears of rampant misuse in pivotal elections. The cautious approach by OpenAI aims to mitigate the potential for synthetic voice misuse.
Notably, a few months ago, a political consultant involved in a long-shot presidential campaign impersonated Joe Biden through a robocall.
This incident raised alarm among experts, who anticipate a surge of AI-powered deepfake disinformation during the 2024 White House race and other key global elections this year.
OpenAI’s partners testing Voice Engine adhere to rules that require explicit and informed consent from anyone whose voice is duplicated using the tool.
Additionally, audiences will be informed when they hear AI-generated voices. Safety measures, including watermarking and proactive monitoring, are in place to trace the origin and usage of audio generated by Voice Engine.
The statement issued by the PPRO reads: “Report at my disposal reveals that on 28/3/2024, unidentified gunmen invaded a Celestial Church around Oriyarin village, Mowe, and abducted one Oladapo Seyifunmi and one Oluboboye Abiola, and escaped through the thick forest behind the church.
“The Commissioner of Police, Alamutu Abiodun, has been briefed, and he has ordered immediate mobilisation of security personnel to go after the hoodlums.”
