Matt Lucas joins stars demanding UK law on AI voice cloning
Matt Lucas, Hugh Bonneville and Nicola Coughlan are among more than 80 UK performers who have written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham demanding new legislation giving every person legal ownership of their voice amid a surge in AI voice cloning. The Save Our Voices Now campaign warns the practice poses an existential threat to creative industries and is fueling identity theft and scams.
Key Takeaways
- Matt Lucas joins Hugh Bonneville, Nicola Coughlan and roughly 80 others backing Save Our Voices Now.
- The campaign wants UK law granting everyone statutory ownership of their own voice.
- Co-founder Alice Sockett says voice theft is rising every week across the industry.
- The government says it will consult on addressing AI harms while protecting innovation.
- Denmark has already reformed law to give citizens ownership of face, body and voice.
Why are Matt Lucas and other actors calling for AI voice cloning law?
Actors including Matt Lucas, Hugh Bonneville and Nicola Coughlan have signed an open letter to the UK government demanding greater protection against their voices being used by artificial intelligence without consent. The group also includes Luke Evans, Jen Brister, Siobhán McSweeney, Pearl Mackie and singer Sandi Thom.
Voice clones are created by training AI on recordings of real people. Quick versions can be made in minutes from a few seconds of audio, though high-quality copycats tend to require hours of source material.
Audiobook narrator Alice Sockett, who co-founded the campaign, called it "an existential threat to our entire industry." She told the BBC that her voice is "out there in the public domain but completely unprotected" and that voice theft is increasing every week.
What is the Save Our Voices Now campaign asking for?
The initiative, also founded by Peter Caulfield, has launched a Gov.uk petition asking that everyone in Britain be given ownership of their voice as part of their statutory rights. Caulfield said that in just three seconds, with the right AI system, a voice can be cloned, stolen and reinterpreted without the owner's knowledge.
Hugh Bonneville, star of Paddington and Downton Abbey, said: "My voice is unique, it's mine, it's part of my identity. So is yours. That's worth speaking up about." He added that his quote was handwritten, not created by AI.
The campaign claims that 28% of UK adults report they have been targeted by a voice-cloning scam. In Denmark, law reforms are already giving citizens legal ownership over their own face, body and voice, allowing them to demand removal of unauthorised AI content and seek compensation.
How is the UK government responding to AI voice cloning?
A government spokesperson told the BBC that while "digital replicas can be a powerful tool, including for the creative industries," there is also possibility for harm. The spokesperson said the government values and protects human creators and will launch a consultation on how to address these harms while protecting legitimate innovation.
McSweeney, the Derry Girls actress, said she was "deeply worried" that legislation, contracts and artists' rights are not keeping pace with AI technology. "Our audiences want that human connection. Not AI," she said.
The push comes months after lawyers warned UK legislation has become "unfit for purpose" because of AI advancements. Dr Mathilde Pavis said in June that the law "comes close, but it doesn't fully protect your voice, your face or your identity." For more on how AI is reshaping entertainment and regulation, see our Future Tech & AI Wonders coverage.
Are there legitimate uses for AI voice cloning?
Some people have welcomed voice replication technology for medical and personal reasons. Yvonne Johnson, who lost her voice due to motor neurone disease, told the BBC's Tech Life programme that having it cloned by AI had "totally blown her mind" and brought her closer to family who had forgotten what she sounded like.
Others have used AI to create holographic representations of deceased loved ones. Pam Cronrath, from Washington state, used the technology so a digital version of her deceased husband addressed mourners at his wake. She told BBC News she was "completely impressed" and that the experience "stayed with me."