• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, April 3, 2024

OpenAI has developed a voice engine, with a multitude of possibilities for advertising and marketing. It uses text input and one 15-second audio sample to generate natural-sounding speech that closely resembles the original speaker’s voice.

The company’s limited test found it possible that a small model with a short voice sample “can create emotive and realistic voices.”

OpenAI first developed the model in 2022, and has used it to power the preset voices available in the text-to-speech API as well as ChatGPT Voice and Read Aloud. 

“We are taking a cautious and informed approach to a broader release due to the potential for synthetic voice misuse,” the company wrote in a blog post. “We hope to start a dialogue on the responsible deployment of synthetic voices, and how society can adapt to these new capabilities.“

Late last year, the company started testing it with a small group of partners to build safeguards into the eventual release and thinking about how it could be used for good across various industries. 

One example that OpenAI did not discuss for advertisers is the ability to create voiceovers in television ads or entire radio spots. It also could be used for generating content for social media.

There is also a possibility to develop a new type of advertising unit for search, paid or organic media.

While the possibilities for media are endless, some immediate examples of use include helping patients recover their voice after an accident or illness, and translating content. 

There are potentially dire consequences to synthetic voice structures. OpenAI realizes this, especially during  an election year, which is why the company has chosen not to release it yet. 

“We are engaging with U.S. and international partners from across government, media, entertainment, education, civil society and beyond to ensure we are incorporating their feedback as we build,” the company wrote. 

It also is encouraging industries to phase out technology such as voice-based authentication as a security measure for accessing bank accounts and other sensitive information.

OpenAI is exploring policies to protect the use of individuals' voices in AI, and educating the public in understanding the capabilities and limitations of AI technologies, including the possibility of deceptive AI content.