Voice cloning: Is voice-as-a-service the new profitable business model?

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• September 8, 2022

Insight summary

Synthetic voice technology has evolved from piecing together recorded audio to using AI to create convincing voice clones. This technology, enabling anyone to clone voices with simple tools, is gaining traction in entertainment but raises ethical and security concerns. Its widespread application, from personal use to celebrity voice rentals, is coupled with risks like identity theft and misuse, highlighting the need for regulations and cybersecurity advancements.

Voice cloning context

Synthetic voices were once produced by recording human voices, breaking them into small audio components, and splicing them together. By 2022, artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) have made it possible to clone voices accurately and convincingly. While this breakthrough has advantages for the entertainment industry, it also has ethical implications.

Cloning a voice might sound daunting, but all that's needed are a microphone, a script, and 30 minutes. A person who wants to clone their voice can send their recorded audio files to be processed, and in a few hours, their voice is available for download. Then, using a chatbox, they can type anything in any language, and their AI replica will repeat it. Voice cloning can provide convincing audio that even friends and family would believe. 

The entire process above is made possible by machine learning which has dramatically advanced the field of speech synthesis. And by 2025, it may be common for celebrities to sell or rent their cloned voices for a variety of services. Veritone was one of the first companies to provide such a service in 2021, allowing influencers, athletes, and actors to license their AI-cloned voices for endorsements without the need to go to a studio.

Disruptive impact

Public debate about sophisticated digital cloning technologies like AI-generated videos used to focus on the rise of hard-to-detect deepfakes with simulated audio and their potential to spread misinformation and political division. However, voice cloning technology has its share of risks and controversies. 

One of the most high-profile applications was the use of deceased chef Anthony Bourdain's voice for the 2021 documentary Roadrunner. Viewers were shocked, first by the use of 'fake' audio, then by the director's seeming dismissal of ethical concerns. Viewers expressed their anger online. Sam Gregory, the program director at Witness (a nonprofit working on using video technology for human rights), stated that the uncomfortable reactions to voice cloning Anthony Bourdain reflected people's expectations around disclosure and consent. Gregory noted that obtaining consent and disclosing the technology behind voice cloning to the audience is essential moving forward. 

There are also concerns about the potential dangers of voice cloning technology. In 2019, the Wall Street Journal reported a criminal case that involved voice cloning. A business manager was deceived into transferring $260,000 USD to criminals who used a cloned copy of his boss' voice. 

Implications of voice cloning

Wider implications of voice cloning may include: 

• The rise of voice cloning apps that anyone can download and use.


• Celebrities renting their voices for various content like podcasts, audiobooks, and meditation apps.


• Increasing investments in voice cloning technologies for entertainment purposes like video games and movie dubbing.


• Cybercriminals hacking online storage systems of cloned voice recordings. 


• Cybersecurity companies developing specialized solutions for voice cloning service providers.


• Governments creating policies and regulations to protect people and their voices against illegal activities.

Questions to consider

• What potential crimes can you think of if a voice is cloned without permission?


• How else might voice cloning affect the entertainment and business industries?