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Speechless voice artists see unregulated AI gagging their livelihoods

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2 years ago

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With technology executives and government officials voicing concerns about the unregulated use of artificial intelligence (AI) posing a threat to human jobs, singers and voice artists have also joined the fray demanding regulation as they fear they will be made redundant by the technology.

Mario Filio, a Mexican artist who has done voiceovers for Hollywood star Will Smith, the Obi-Wan Kenobi character in Star Wars and the party-loving lemur King Julien in the animated movie “Madagascar” said: “We’re fighting a very big monster.”

With the campaign slogan “Don’t steal our voices,” more than 20 voiceover artists, associations and unions from Europe, the US and Latin America have formed a coalition named United Voice Artists, representing faceless voiceover artists and narrators of commercials, movies, audiobooks and video games — fearing that they will be replaced by machines, or even cloned by AI without consent.

The group said: “The undiscriminating and unregulated use of [AI] is a risk that could lead to the extinction of an artistic heritage of creativity and wonder, an asset that machines cannot generate.”

The group maintained that its members include the US National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA) and Latin America’s Organization of United Voices.

“Our voices are our livelihood,” NAVA vice president Carin Gilfry said in a statement last month.

“And if we don’t have control over how those voices are used, we can’t make a living,” she added.

These artists were already fighting with text-to-speech technology that turns written words into synthetic voices.

Now AI has renewed fears as machine learning technology can compare a voice sample with millions of existing ones, identifying patterns to generate a similar one.

“It’s fed by voices that we’ve been providing for years,” said Dessiree Hernandez, president of the Mexican Association of Commercial Announcers.

“We’re talking about the right to use your voice without your consent,” she added.

Replaced by AI?

Different platforms allow human-sounding text-to-speech services for a part of what they pay to other voiceover artists.

According to one platform, it does not intend to replace human voiceovers but to offer a quicker and cheaper alternative.

Though the artists are still being hired, voice actors are wary that companies are using their voices to build up their archives.

The artists are seeking tools to track their voices in the face of sophisticated piracy and calling for regulation to prevent recordings of their voices from being used to develop AI without their permission. They also are asking for setting up support quotas for human voiceovers, said Colombian voice artist Daniel Soler de la Prada.

“In the future, audiences could hear a famous actor’s voice in several languages but with the intonation of a dubbing artist,” Filio said.

While that could generate employment and benefits for the public, voice artists “need to charge what’s fair,” he added.

Mexican voice artist Maclovia Gonzalez said that “she would only sign a contract with an AI company if it provided enough information about how the content would be used.”

“I want to be part of this revolution, but not at any price,” she said.

Art Dubbing, a company that has received several requests from clients to use synthetic voices, faces a dilemma: “Adapt or disappear,” said its Mexican founder, Anuar Lopez de la Pena.

Filio for his part said that he stopped recording for many clients for fear of hurting his colleagues’ livelihoods.

But he is skeptical that AI will replace voice actors completely because the machines have “no soul,” he added.

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Balochistani Graduates Selected for NUTECH Islamabad’s Mining Program

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6 days ago

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For 18 graduates of the Reko Diq Mining Project, the National University of Technology, Islamabad, has started a training program. These graduates will complete an 18-month on-the-job training program at Barrick’s International Mining Sites after completing a two-month course at NUTECH.

The graduates will acquire proficiency in mining and associated technical domains during the training program. The chosen graduates will also get specific instruction on environmental protection, safety, exploration, and geology.

Along with the development of communication skills, the curriculum will also emphasise the most recent advancements in the mining industry. Barrick’s International Graduate Development Program for 2024 includes the Balochistani graduates.

Additionally, nine Baloch graduates were selected in 2023 and transported to Barrick’s facility in Argentina for on-the-job training.

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WhatsApp will improve the updates tab by introducing new shortcuts and a revamped interface.

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1 week ago

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WhatsApp is implementing a new upgrade to refine the Updates tab interface, hence boosting accessibility for status and channel updates.

WABetaInfo reports that the upgrade introduces expedited shortcuts that streamline the updating of statuses and channels. Users can now select and upload photos and videos directly from the interface, reducing the steps involved in choosing media from the gallery.

The Meta-owned messaging application has also revamped the button for generating text-based status updates and introduced a feature for recording and sharing voice status updates. This offers customers a more expedient method to disseminate text and speech updates without depending on the floating action button.

The revisions correspond with recent modifications to other tabs, ensuring a modernised interface that improves navigation and update creation. WhatsApp is modifying the floating action button to facilitate content sharing within channels.

When selecting the floating action button, users will see several options, including creating status updates, starting new channels, or sharing photos, videos, voice, and text in existing channels. This revamp integrates all content-generating options into a singular section.

The new shortcuts are anticipated to be accessible to a broader user base in the forthcoming weeks. Beta testers can currently access them in the latest WhatsApp beta for Android, version 2.24.26.13, available on the Google Play Store.

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China and Pakistan Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Launch AI-Powered Agricultural Equipment

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1 week ago

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Through Chinese expertise, the arrangement, which was made possible by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), intends to increase Pakistan’s agricultural output.

The Punjab government and China’s “AI Force Tech” company have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to introduce advanced agricultural machinery during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s visit to China.

Through the use of advanced robotic technology, the MoU seeks to transform Pakistan’s agricultural industry, guarantee economic growth, and boost farmers’ wealth with China’s assistance.

Through the partnership, Pakistan would also have the chance to absorb knowledge about China’s sophisticated farming methods.

In the meantime, plans have been revealed by the Federal Minister of Planning to send 1,000 agricultural experts to China to study contemporary farming methods.

A Chinese business and the Punjab government previously inked an agreement to introduce cutting-edge cancer treatment technologies to Punjab.

Maryam Nawaz signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hygea Medical Technologies while she was in China in order to introduce cutting-edge cancer treatment equipment and techniques to Punjab.

This equipment will make it feasible to treat cancer without the need for chemotherapy or surgery.

Following a meeting with Hygea Medical Technologies President Dr. Luo Fuliang, Maryam Nawaz said the organization has promised expert assistance for the establishment of the Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital.

She went on to say that the hospital will work with China to treat cancer patients utilizing the newest equipment and techniques following the agreement.

Maryam Nawaz and a high-level delegation are present. From December 8 to December 15, the chief minister will go to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou.

CM Maryam Nawaz is expected to attend a number of conferences, events, and meetings with the goal of enhancing bilateral relations and looking into potential joint ventures in the areas of infrastructure development, technology, agriculture, and governance.

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