Do you remember when artificial intelligence (AI) was merely the subject of science fiction books and movies? In the last 12 months, after the release of powerful large language models like ChatGPT, they have become increasingly present in our daily lives, causing a productivity revolution in our lives and work.
In this guide, we explore how artificial intelligence is transforming voice storytelling, offering businesses innovative solutions for e-learning, marketing, corporate training, and more.
Likewise, the guide uncovers the commercial applications, ethical considerations, and the balance between AI-generated voices and human narration, tailored to meet your business’s evolving needs.
To start, what is artificial intelligence? Artificial intelligence covers a variety of computer systems or combinations of algorithms designed to replicate human cognitive capacity through machines, processors, and software that carry out data processing and analysis work.
Within the world of artificial intelligence, various technologies have transformed how we interact with information and perform daily tasks. Large language models (LLMs) and machine learning models that use deep learning approaches to analyze and understand language are the ones that stand out the most. These models can process extensive amounts of data, capture sophisticated linguistic patterns, and perform various tasks, such as answering questions, maintaining dialogues, and addressing problem-solving situations.
There are three main types of machine learning: supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning. Machine learning is a type of AI that focuses on developing algorithms to learn from data. The most popular is ChatGPT, created by OpenAI, which uses advanced natural language processing techniques to understand and generate text.
These AI models have not only revolutionized the way we communicate but have also found critical applications in fields such as medicine, using artificial intelligence to analyze medical images, such as CT scans, MRIs, and X-rays, to assist in diagnosing diseases such as breast cancer. In the field of science, for example, in environmental sciences, artificial intelligence is used to create predictive models that help understand and predict climate phenomena and ecological changes.
Although AI technologies have been used for several decades, in recent years, they have gained popularity among the general public thanks to their dissemination in the media and social networks, among others. As people learn about the capabilities and applications of AI, they adopt and use these technologies in their daily lives.
What is AI Voice?
Artificial intelligence in voice narration, particularly in speech generation, represents a field focused on developing human-like speech through advanced technological methods. Through sophisticated algorithms and machine learning processes, voices generated by artificial intelligence can interpret and transform written text into verbal expressions, offering a novel way for computers and other electronic devices to converse with people. The best-known examples are the mobile assistants Siri and Alexa.
AI voiceover services generate text-to-speech conversion or synthesized using artificial intelligence technologies, usually from text or other data sources. In recent years, there has been notable progress in AI speech technology, enabling computers to produce human-like speech.
What are AI voices used for?
AI voiceover services can significantly boost your business’s outreach and efficiency. From virtual assistants and automated call answering to personalizing the customer experience, learn about the various applications that will transform how your company communicates and connects with your audience.
E-Learning or corporate training: Among some advantages, AI Voice can quickly convert scripts and texts into high-quality narrations. Generally, these types of projects are extensive and usually include several parts and hours of audio. AI allows companies to produce content and develop training materials more efficiently.
Podcasts: Enhance your recording process using AI voiceover services to quickly convert scripts and texts into high-quality narration. Other advantages are the possibility of generating content in several languages and accents and choosing the tone, rhythm, or style of the narration for the intro and outro of your podcast.
Audiobooks: Optimize the production of your audiobooks with personalized narrations and vocal consistency in all episodes so that your audience falls in love with the story you want to tell.
Voiceovers for videos: whether you need to create videos for your social networks or demonstrate your products, AI voice can help you improve the quality of audiovisual content and generate a more attractive experience for the viewer.
Dubbing: AI allows dubbing content in multiple languages, facilitating global expansion and reaching international audiences.
However, it should be noted that in all cases where artificial intelligence is used to generate voices, there may be difficulties in accurately replicating particular regional accents or dialects.
Text-to-speech AI
Within AI technologies, text-to-speech AI (TTS AI) has grown exponentially in recent months. It consists of synthetic voices that are created from written input. Users will write their script and then be able to hear it out loud.
Text-to-speech tools have become more sophisticated in the last few months, allowing companies to pick a specific emotion for their voiceovers.
While Text-to-speech AI with emotion stands out for its ability to create voices with specific emotions, human voices still remain irreplaceable regarding authenticity and the ability to adapt to various contexts intuitively. Plus, when it comes to advertising in particular, brands often look for specific pronunciations and a unique tone to differentiate themselves from the competition. The choice between either option will depend on the need for more human and emotion-rich communication versus the efficiency and scalability of advanced synthetic voice technology.
Commercial Applications of AI Voiceovers
In addition to the uses mentioned in a few paragraphs above, AI Voiceovers have broad applications in producing commercial content, such as advertisements, promotional messages, voiceovers for corporate videos, and IVR (Interactive Voice Response) in customer services, among other applications as:
Video games: In recent years, the use of artificial intelligence in voices for video games has experienced significant growth because AI Voices can be used to generate voices for different characters, narrators, and dialogue systems, providing an immersive experience for gamers at a lower cost.
AI Game Characters: Allows you to create unique, custom voices for each game character, offering more interactive gaming experiences.
Voice AI in animation: Use AI Voice to generate diverse and expressive character voices, improving the realism and immersion of animated content.
Chatbots: The use of AI Voice in chatbots has revolutionized the interaction between companies and customers, offering more natural, personalized, and efficient interactions and improving the customer experience.
IVR (Interactive Voice Response): AI Voice technology guarantees natural and professional voice responses in IVR systems, improving the customer experience and conveying a more sophisticated company image.
Explanatory videos: Explanatory videos are one of the best ways to explain how your services or products work using professional AI voice that can be adapted to the desired style to connect with the target audience.
Character Voice AI: Technology designed to generate voices that represent fictional characters, whether in narratives, video games, or movies, to improve the user experience and bring characters to life in a more convincing way.
If you want to see how AI voiceovers can transform your business communication, reach out to Bunny Studio for a personalized consultation.
Ethical Use of AI Voice
Using artificial intelligence (AI) voices responsibly is essential to ensure ethics and respect in developing and applying this technology.
As with many innovative technologies in their early stages of adoption, the most significant concern lies in the possibility of generating a negative stigma around the technology instead of recognizing the threats as a point of discussion and learning.
In the voice industry, the main ethical problem we encounter is the possibility of cloning the voice of a private person or an actor without their authorization. One of the best-known cases is the legal complaint that Scarlett Johansson made against an artificial intelligence application that used her image and voice in an online advertisement without authorization. The ad featured an old clip of Johansson in her role as Black Widow in Marvel.
The Scarlett Johansson case is not something that happens for the first time. The use of artificial intelligence to recreate the image and voice of celebrities is becoming increasingly common, thanks in large part to the popularization of generative tools that allow the creation of audio deepfakes from existing voice samples and generating images of famous people.
At Bunny Studio, we promote the use of a voice in an ethical, transparent, and responsible manner, using services that comply with ethics guidelines such as those of the United Kingdom or the European Union, as well as the upcoming laws that come into force around its use correct artificial intelligence.
Unfortunately, any technology can be misused. That is why it is essential that when working with voices created with artificial intelligence, you avoid misuse to deceive or influence in a harmful way. The industry is responsible for promoting and limiting the inappropriate use of artificial intelligence.
Commit to ethical AI voiceovers with Bunny Studio. Contact us for responsible and professional voiceover services.
What are the characteristics good AI voiceover services should have?
A good voiceover service with artificial intelligence (AI) must have several key characteristics to offer a good result:
Voice naturalness: AI-generated voices should sound natural, avoiding robotic or mechanical sounds to offer a pleasant and realistic listening experience.
Variety of tone of voice and styles: The service must offer the possibility of adapting different tones to convey emotions and nuances in the speech.
Languages and accents: If you want to capture the attention of a global audience, it is essential that you can generate voices in several languages and adapt to different accents.
Quality control: Check that the company that offers the AI voice service has a quality control mechanism that guarantees the quality of the voices generated, avoiding problems such as incorrect pronunciation or lack of clarity.
Security and privacy: Another critical point is the guarantee of data security and user privacy, especially in sensitive information processing cases.
Choosing Between AI and Human Voiceovers
Throughout this article, we have shared the benefits of using AI voiceovers, such as the ability to customize intonation, style, and other aspects of voices and generate voices in multiple languages and accents. Another notable aspect is that AI technology facilitates the generation of voices on a large scale, which is helpful for projects that require massive content production. As disadvantages, some accents and dialects are not available, and there needs to be more flexibility regarding the need to replace a word to adjust the rhythm of the script better.
However, we cannot mention that, so far, nothing compares to the sound of a human voice. Human voices sound more natural and bring genuine emotions, essential for projects seeking an emotional connection with their audience. In addition, human voices can adjust their interpretation according to the project’s requirements and provide a greater variety of nuances and expressions that will sound natural.
If you’re thinking, “Should I use AI voiceovers or hire human voiceovers?” The answer will depend on the project you are working on and your objective. If you need to connect emotionally with your audience and obtain a voice with a unique style, the human voiceover option is still your best option.
If you want to use an AI voice for your next project, contact one of our friendly team members so they can guide you on the best option. If the AI voiceovers do not convince you, you can hire the best voiceovers on the market at Bunny Studio.
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