They frame it as though it’s for user content, more likely it’s to train AI, but in fact it gives them the right to do almost anything they want - up to (but not including) stealing the content outright.
They frame it as though it’s for user content, more likely it’s to train AI, but in fact it gives them the right to do almost anything they want - up to (but not including) stealing the content outright.
So, they want to create AI written and narrated audiobooks that use the voices of well known voice actors without paying them for the privilege? How is that supposed to stand in court?
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This is a much better take.
Intonation is huge, and something general models tend to have trouble with - especially with something like an audiobook, which is narration - it’s very contextual in a way not found in almost any other form of communication. It even encapsulates every other form of context through dialogue.
And not only that - a lot of audiobooks have versions by multiple voice actors. And they might change a word here or there, but it’s highly structured data - it’s truly a treasure trove
I’d go a step further and say they really want access to the dataset - not just for audiobooks, but because this is a fantastic dataset to train very context aware (and silky smooth) text to voice.
Spotify probably doesn’t have the chops to do this, but they might be trying to leverage the dataset - I’m not sure if they could sell it wholesale or not, but if nothing else they could “partner” with Microsoft or Google to train VTT capabilities into multi-modal LLMs (a pitch with all the buzzwords to make investors need to change their underwear)
Make the policy change, see if they can get it to hold up in the courts. AKA normal business practices for corporate America.
Voices can’t be protected by copyright but there may be a legal avenue for someone like Morgan Freeman to sue if a voice is clearly a knock off of his voice AND he can make a case for it damaging his “brand”.
I’d be impressed though if AI can write a novel without directly referencing a fictional person, place or thing that someone else made up. Stable Diffusion, for example, can make a picture of dog wearing a tracksuit running on the side of a skyscraper made of pudding in the middle of a noodle hurricane. But it didn’t invent any of those individual components, it just combined them.
This is why we need laws for likeness rights. Every person should own exclusive commercial rights to their own face, voice, etc.
Now I want that image of the dog framed and hanging in my house.
Jesus, that’s dark.
Edit: oh, my eyes skipped the word “image”
“Now I want that of the dog framed and hanging in my house.”
Are ya sure your brain didn’t skip a few more words?
;-P
What about when a talented comedian speaks in the voice of someone else? Should we just write a law that humans are allowed to do it, but machines aren’t?
Tell me you don’t understand the difference between human creative work and “”“AI”“” work without telling me you don’t understand the difference between human creative work and “”“AI”“” work
I don’t. What exactly is the difference between me making a remix of someone’s voice using software I don’t understand and me telling software I don’t understand to doing that slightly more?
There is no difference. My work involves tools, be they hammers or ML models.
name, image, and likeness can be trademarked.
No. This is very likely about translations.
The idea that they’ll be creating an unofficial sequel to your audiobook and selling it without your permission or something is a pretty ridiculous leap that would be very unlikely to actually hold up in court.
Meanwhile no one had to pay me a royality if they use my picture and they call themselves a news service.