OpenAI is introducing a speech engine that may copy human voices, but won’t share it yet

April 2, 2024: OpenAI, the corporate behind the favored ChatGPT, has announced this Speech machinea brand new text-to-speech AI model that may create synthetic voices based on a 15-second segment of recorded audio.

Developed in late 2022, the technology has the potential to supply quite a few advantages, similar to reading support, global reach for creators, and personalized language options for non-verbal people.

However, despite the potential advantages, OpenAI has decided to first pre-test the technology but to not widely release it at the moment attributable to concerns about possible misuse.

The company had originally planned to launch a pilot program for developers to join Voice Engine API However, earlier this month it scaled back its ambitions after considering the moral implications.

In a press release, OpenAI said: “We are currently selecting to preview but aren’t generally releasing this technology. We hope this preview of Voice Engine each highlights its potential and motivates the necessity to strengthen society’s resilience to the challenges presented by increasingly compelling generative models.”

The company has been testing the technology with select partner corporations since last 12 months, requiring them to comply with terms of service that prohibit impersonation without consent and require informed consent from people whose voices are cloned.

OpenAI has also implemented a watermark into each voice sample to trace the origin of every voice generated by its voice engine model.

To address the potential risks related to voice cloning technology, OpenAI has made three recommendations for society to adapt: ​​phasing out voice-based authentication for bank accounts, educating the general public about the potential of misleading AI content, and developing techniques to hurry up Track the origin of audio content.

The company emphasizes the necessity for a cautious and informed approach to the broader adoption of synthetic speech technology.

“We hope to start out a dialogue in regards to the responsible use of synthetic voices and the way society can adapt to those recent capabilities,” OpenAI explained. “Based on these discussions and the outcomes of those small-scale tests, we are going to make a more informed decision about whether and how one can deploy this technology on a big scale.”

As the event of voice cloning technology continues to advance, it’s critical for corporations like OpenAI to think about the potential risks and ethical implications while working to appreciate the advantages for society.