The Value of Celebrity Voices in AI: Meta’s Approach

Imagine Meta offering you a hefty sum to replicate your voice for artificial intelligence. Recent reports from reputable sources like Bloomberg and The New York Times reveal that Meta is willing to shell out millions to celebrities in exchange for the rights to mimic their voices for AI applications. A-listers such as Judi Dench, Awkwafina, and Keegan-Michael Key have already been approached to lend their voices to AI chatbots and other undisclosed AI projects.

The Race for Celeb Voices

Insiders suggest that Meta is racing against the clock to secure the necessary celebrities for its upcoming September Connect 2024 event. Notably, the previous year’s event showcased AI chatbots adorned with the likenesses of prominent figures like Kendall Jenner, Tom Brady, and Paris Hilton. While Meta reportedly compensated these celebrities handsomely for the use of their images, the project was shelved last week due to the lack of interest in the AI chatbots on social media platforms post-debut.

For instance, Snoop Dogg’s “Dungeon Master” Meta AI entity gathered a mere 15,000 followers while Kendall Jenner’s AI persona “Billie” managed to amass an impressive 118,000 followers on Instagram alone.

Celebrity Voice Cloning at the Forefront

The spotlight intensified on celebrity voice cloning after Meta’s rival OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT, introducing a chatbot that bore a striking resemblance to Scarlett Johansson. Johansson, taken aback by the uncanny similarity, took legal action, prompting OpenAI to remove the controversial voice.

Meta’s AI strategy distinguishes itself from the competition by fostering a community of AI chatbots with diverse functions. In a recent development, Meta introduced an AI studio that empowers users to create personalized AI bots for conversational interactions. Notable characters within the studio include Luna, the therapist coach, and Career Catalyst, a career-oriented conversational bot.

According to Meta CEO Zuckerberg, the goal is to cultivate a varied ecosystem of AI entities rather than a single, monolithic chatbot. He envisions a world enriched by a tapestry of distinct AI personalities, offering novel and engaging experiences to users.

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