Dear Emmett,
What are do you think about A.I.? Should we collectively welcome our robot overlords? Should we smash our computers, and go back to using tape, and rely on Hedwig to deliver our scripts? Should we wait for Kyle Reese to arrive?
Regards,
Nathan Bateman
Hi Nathan Bateman,
I appreciate all the references, but I especially enjoy the deep-cut reference with your name. Well-played.
Um, well, I like AI. Oooooh, scary. People with pitchforks will be arriving at my door any minute now. Really, though, before I give my thoughts, let’s get on the same page with one simple, yet very important fact: AI isn’t going away. For better or worse, that genie isn’t going back in the lamp. My perspective is based on that indisputable reality.
I think a lot of people are afraid of AI, because they think of a worst-case-scenario, which even if correct, only applies to a tiny portion of AI usage. Voice actors, specifically, are afraid of having their likeness stolen, and their jobs replaced. But the fact of the matter is, AI is just technology. It’s being used in many, many ways that augment human capabilities, without forcing any jobs toward obsolescence. The technology is a good thing. As with most things, the operator is the potential problem.
Progress happens for one reason, and one reason only: because something better comes along. AI is capable of doing some things better than humans can. It will grow in those areas. However, it cannot be a better human, than a human. No matter how good it becomes, it can never match or exceed a human, at something that is an inherently human thing. It can only mimic. The mimicry will get better with time, but it will still be a fake copy of the real thing, no matter what.
People have compared AI replacing voice actors, to the automobile replacing the horse and buggy, but it’s a false equivalency. The automobile did not try to replicate a horse and buggy; it offered many, many advantages. For most people doing most things, cars were a clearly superior choice. For voice actors, the primary advantages of AI are price and convenience. Price, however, is not a determining factor of progress. It was certainly less expensive to own that horse and buggy, than to buy and maintain an automobile. If price was the driving force for progress, the automobile wouldn’t have caught on. Convenience is more concerning, but not by much.
Sure, some buyers will value price and convenience, above all else. Those buyers have existed for a long time. They’ll continue to drag the bottom, and will only really impact those selling their voice at bottom-dollar rates. For most of us, these buyers don’t count. Good AI will become more expensive. You don’t have to look any further than streaming services, to see this in-action. For a short time, streaming technology was an amazing way to “cut the cord.” It was incredibly inexpensive, it offered a massive amount of really good content, and, with cheap hardware flooding the market in every TV, it became as convenient as cable, and more convenient than renting a disc. And what happened? A series of events that requires multiple subscriptions for access to good content, which is neither convenient, nor inexpensive. Suddenly, much of what made streaming such an attractive option, has faded away. Like AI, streaming won’t go away. It still offers some great advantages. But it’s not nearly as appealing as it once was.
Which brings us to AI for voiceover. How is it a better option than a human? Price is the only current huge advantage, but as I mentioned, that will change. Those who want a high-quality product, will not only pay for more expensive services, they will also pay for a skilled operator, because AI only knows to do what it’s told. It cannot interpret a script, as a human can. Like I said before, it can only mimic. And only a human can give it the instruction to mimic the exact necessary inflection for a good performance. So combine those costs, and the price advantage is no more. Quality voice synthesis will cost as much as hiring an actor — maybe more.
But then there’s convenience. This is a tough one, because some people will find AI to be a more convenient option, especially if they are skilled at using it. Others will feel the opposite. The key point here, is voice actors need to prioritize convenience for their clients. You need to be fast and efficient, easy to work with, and skilled enough to nail the performance, right out of the chute. Be the easy option.
Understand, this is a series of events. It will get worse, before it gets better. But it will get better. Right now, companies that have traditionally hired human voices, are spending a lot of time and energy on AI. This is to be expected. Small and large companies, alike, will be testing to see how AI fits into their plans. You have to let them go, and you must do it gracefully. Work to understand it isn’t personal, and they’re doing what needs to be done for their own jobs. Be someone who cares about that, because when it doesn’t work out, they will make a decision about whether to come back to you, or find another voice. Coming back to someone you’ve replaced, is an awkward interaction. But if you’ve demonstrated that you understand their business, it can be a lot less awkward. Rather than someone they used to work with, you become someone they know understands them and their challenges. It may be tough, but leave doors open and bridges intact, and you’ll likely find a lot of clients will come back through that door.
Keep in mind, as we go through this transition, AI is trying to be something you already are. Developers are trying to teach it to have qualities you already have. You are the gold standard for voiceover. AI is the knockoff. And no matter how good AI becomes, no matter how cheap, or how convenient, you are what people want to hire, and what developers aspire to create. Weather the storm, and come out smelling like a rose on the other side.
Emmett
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