80+ UK Stars Demand Legal Protection Against AI Voice Cloning as Scams Rise

UK Performers Unite Against Unauthorized AI Voice Replication

More than 80 UK performers have signed an open letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham demanding legislation to protect voice ownership against AI voice cloning. The Save Our Voices Now campaign includes Matt Lucas, Hugh Bonneville, Nicola Coughlan, Luke Evans, Siobhán McSweeney, and Pearl Mackie, all calling for statutory rights for individuals to own their voices.1

1

2

2

Hugh Bonneville stated his voice is unique and part of his identity, adding with humor that his quote was handwritten, not created by AI.3

3

Voice-Cloning Scams Target 28% of UK Adults

The campaign against AI voice cloning highlights alarming statistics: 28% of UK adults report being targeted by voice-cloning scams.2

2

3

3

Peter Caulfield, founder of Save Our Voices Now, warned that with the right AI system, a voice can be cloned in just three seconds without knowledge or consent. He described the situation as resembling a Black Mirror episode, except it's happening right now. AI-generated voice replicas are created by training AI on recordings of real people, with quick versions made in minutes from seconds of audio, while high-quality copycats require hours of training.1

1

Existential Threat to Creative Industries

Audiobook narrator Alice Sockett, who co-founded the campaign, called AI voice cloning an existential threat to the entire industry. She explained her voice is in the public domain but completely unprotected, with voice theft increasing every week.1

1

Derry Girls actor Siobhán McSweeney expressed deep worry that legislation, contracts, and artists' rights aren't being considered or protected as quickly as AI technology progresses. She believes there's a way to work alongside AI as a tool that benefits performers rather than rendering them obsolete, emphasizing that audiences want human connection, not AI.2

2

3

3

Government Response and Legal Gaps

A UK government spokesperson acknowledged that while digital replicas can be powerful tools for creative industries, there's potential for harm. The government announced plans to launch a consultation on addressing these harms while protecting legitimate innovation.1

1

However, lawyers warned months earlier that UK legislation has become unfit for purpose due to AI advancements. Dr. Mathilde Pavis noted in June that the law comes close but doesn't fully protect voices, faces, or identity.1

1

Caulfield argued the government is allowing AI companies to steal and profit from artists' voices without consent while also enabling criminals to use AI for identity theft.2

2

Denmark's Legal Reforms Offer Blueprint

Denmark is implementing legal reforms to give citizens legal ownership over their face, body, and voice, allowing them to demand removal of unauthorized AI content and seek compensation.2

2

3

3

This approach provides a potential model for protecting voice ownership in other countries facing similar challenges with AI-generated voice replicas.

Balancing Protection with Innovation

While the campaign focuses on protecting voice ownership, some applications of voice cloning technology have proven beneficial. Yvonne Johnson, who lost her voice to motor neurone disease, described how having it cloned by AI totally blew her mind and brought her closer to family who had forgotten what she sounded like.1

1

Singer Sandi Thom, known for her 2006 hit I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair), signed the letter emphasizing her voice is unique and handed to her at birth, representing emotion, life, pain, tears, and joy. She stated that without human creativity, we are nothing.1

1

A Gov.uk petition has been launched alongside the open letter, asking for legal rights to their voices as part of statutory rights for everyone in Britain.2

2