Paul Skye Lehrman and Linnea Sage have taken legal action against Lovo, a text-to-speech platform, for allegedly cloning their voices without permission. The couple, who are voice-over performers, were shocked to discover that their voices had been replicated by AI technology and sold potentially hundreds of thousands of times.
The lawsuit, filed in May, accuses Lovo of using recordings of their voices to create copies that compete with their real voices, without proper compensation or consent. The couple claims that Lovo obtained recordings from them through anonymous requests on the freelance talent website Fiverr, under the guise of research into “speech synthesis.”
The case is expected to focus on rights of publicity and breach of contract, as the couple alleges that Lovo violated their rights by using their voices without permission. Professor Kristelia Garcia, an expert in intellectual property law, believes that the outcome of the case could set a precedent for other artists and creatives who fear losing control of their work to AI technology.
As the debate over the impact of AI on jobs continues, Lehrman and Sage’s experience serves as a cautionary tale for those in the creative industry. The couple expressed disbelief at the idea of AI encroaching on their creative endeavors, highlighting the unexpected and chilling reality of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry.
The lawsuit against Lovo represents a larger conversation about the ethical use of AI technology and the protection of artists’ rights in the digital age. The outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications for the future of creative industries and the relationship between human creativity and artificial intelligence.
