Actors Nicola Coughlan and Matt Lucas have joined a campaign against the use of artificial intelligence to clone performers' voices without consent.
The campaign, launched by the performers' union Equity, calls for stronger legal protections to prevent AI companies from replicating actors' voices without permission or fair payment.
Celebrity Support
Coughlan, known for her roles in Bridgerton and Derry Girls, and Lucas, a comedian and actor, are among the high-profile names backing the initiative. They join a growing list of performers concerned about the unregulated use of AI in the entertainment industry.
The union argues that AI voice cloning poses a direct threat to performers' livelihoods, as synthetic voices could replace human actors in voice-over work, audiobooks, and other audio productions.
Demands for Regulation
Equity is urging the government to introduce legislation that would require explicit consent from performers before their voices can be used to train AI models or generate synthetic speech.
The campaign also seeks to ensure that performers receive compensation when their voices are used in this way, and that they have the right to control how their digital likeness is employed.
The move reflects broader concerns across the creative industries about the impact of generative AI on jobs and intellectual property rights.
