Italian
Sir David Attenborough does not approve of AI being used to replicate his voice.
In a BBC News segment on Sunday, an AI recreation of the famous British broadcaster’s voice speaking about his new series “Asia” was played next to a real recording, with little to no difference between the two. BBC researchers had found the AI-generated Attenborough on a website, and said there were several that claimed to clone his voice.
In response, the 98-year-old sent the following statement to BBC News: “Having spent a lifetime trying to speak what I believe to be the truth, I am profoundly disturbed to find that these days, my identity is being stolen by others and greatly object to them using it to say whatever they wish.”
AI-generated Attenborough then crafted a reply, which BBC News played. “Let’s set the record straight. Unless Mr. Attenborough has been moonlighting for us in secret and under an assumed name with work authorization in the United States, he is not on our payroll,” it said. “I am not David Attenborough. We are both male, British voices for sure. However, I am not David Attenborough, for anyone out there who may be confused.”
Popular on Variety Dr. Jennifer Williams, an AI audio researcher at the University of Southampton, then offered her opinion on the matter after BBC News played another clip of the cloned voice speaking about Donald Trump’s nomination of Matt Gaetz and the war in Ukraine.
“I’m a little disgusted,” she said. “This is very serious … when you have a trusted voice like Sir David Attenborough, who all around the world people recognize him as an authority, as a voice of truth. And then to have words put in his mouth about war, politics and things that he has never said or may not eve endorse, it’s very concerning.”
Watch the full BBC News segment below.
