Audible, an Amazon Subsidiary, Tests AI Voice Clones for its Audiobooks

The use of synthetic voices has been constantly increasing over the years. The emerging generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) models have further accelerated this trend. Whether in political campaigns, podcasts, or chatbots, AI voices are commonly found mimicking celebrity voices subtly. Now, these AI voices are coming to invade the audiobook arena.

Amazon's Audible Rides the AI Wave

Recently, Audible, which operates under the Amazon banner, revealed its plans of a trial program to employ artificially created voice clones for performing narration tasks in its audiobooks. This program was introduced through an announcement on ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange), Audible's dedicated platform that enables publishers and authors to convert written content into audiobooks.

The post addressing this trial stated, "We're taking measured steps to test new technologies to help expand our catalog, and this week we are inviting a small group of narrators to participate in a US-only beta enabling them to create and monetize replicas of their own voices using AI-generated speech technology".

Power in the Narrator's and Author's Hands

Audible's new initiative empowers narrators and authors by allowing them to control the projects their AI voices are used in. Through ACX's production process, the final recordings are scrutinized for any errors, ensuring only high-quality audiobooks reach the market.

While the company's new approach may seem contradictory to its current stance, it should come as no surprise given Amazon's bullish attitude towards AI. Similar AI-assisted audio programs are utilized by the company for their Kindle publishing division.

Start Small, Aim Big

The current program is restricted to a small group of narrators. However, with the proliferating advancements in technology, it wouldn't be surprising if every author can use their own artificially generated voice to narrate their books soon.

Others in the AI narration game

Amazon is not alone in tapping AI for narrations. Rebind, a startup, has been recruiting authors to clone their voices to let AI guide users through their work.

Consolidating Personal Information Digitally via Google Wallet

In other tech news, Google has announced its plan to help users digitizing passports. The tech giant introduced digital driver’s licenses to its Wallet platform in 2020 for Android users. A similar feature, for US passports, is expected to roll out soon. Users need to be aware that a Google Wallet version of their passport will only be valid at certain TSA checkpoints where digital IDs are accepted.

Google’s Tab Grouping Feature

Google also announced updates to its tab grouping feature in Google Chrome that will soon allow users to sync their browsing activities across devices. The tech company stated, without providing a definite timeline, that the feature would soon be available in Chrome on iOS and could sync across desktops.

New Growth Opportunities for Meta

Further, Meta has confirmed plans to exploit its AI services into new cultural territories with a focus on the UK market. By using data collected from UK Facebook and Instagram users to train its AI, the company hopes to enhance its tools' sensitivity to British culture and speech.

Apple's Latest Ventures

Finally, during Apple's event this week, the company announced its latest iPhone models, the Apple Watch, and AirPods equipped with hearing aid capabilities. Hoping that its generative AI tools will stimulate demand for these new devices, Apple is now on the verge of creating a significant surge in the digital landscape.