Yahoo News Morgan Freeman Criticizes “Scam” Using AI Version of His Voice
Morgan Freeman is the latest star to speak publicly about alleged attempts to replicate celebrities’ voices using AI.
The Oscar-winning actor, who is known for his voiceover work, took to social media Friday to express his appreciation for fans who have notified him about AI-generated imitations of his voice.
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“Thank you to my incredible fans for your vigilance and support in calling out the unauthorized use of an A.I. voice imitating me,” Freeman posted to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday. “Your dedication helps authenticity and integrity remain paramount. Grateful.” Hashtags on his post included “scam” and “IdentityProtection.”
According to media reports, a TikTok user describing herself as Freeman’s niece had recently posted videos to the platform that allegedly feature narration from an AI-generated version of the actor’s voice.
Thank you to my incredible fans for your vigilance and support in calling out the unauthorized use of an A.I. voice imitating me. Your dedication helps authenticity and integrity remain paramount. Grateful. #AI #scam #imitation #IdentityProtection
— Morgan Freeman (@morgan_freeman) June 28, 2024
Freeman’s legitimate voice work includes narrating the film March of the Penguins and the Netflix series Life on Our Planet, in addition to serving as the voice of CBS News.
Freeman’s post follows Scarlett Johansson having threatened legal action last month against OpenAI for allegedly copying and imitating her voice after she declined to license it to the company. In a statement at the time, Johansson said that after she turned down OpenAI’s request to be a voice called “Sky” for its AI system, the company founded by Sam Altman then mimicked her voice.
“When I heard the released demo, I was shocked, angered and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference,” her statement read.
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