Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'd firstly like to thank Mr Mike Goldman for bringing this important issue to my attention. Voice acting is an art form. Professionals spend years training their vocals to entertain, inform and comfort us. They make our favourite audiobooks believable, breakfast radio engaging and GPS systems lifelike. Currently, Australian voice actors risk losing their livelihoods due to synthetic clones of their own human vocals. That's right: replica sound bites created and broadcasted using AI without the original artist's consent. These are real Australians, such as Alistair Lee. Alistair is a blind vocal artist and could lose his income, leaving his family and young children vulnerable. He said, 'It comes back to consent and control over your own voice.'

The potential consequences of unregulated AI are vast, powerful and, frankly, terrifying. These clones could be used to say anything at any time, with no-one able to determine the authenticity of the sound bite. From scammers to perpetrators of domestic violence—we've even seen the use of AI manipulation during elections overseas. This is why I'll be working with the Minister for Communications and the Australian Association of Voice Actors to protect not only voice actors like Alistair and Mike but all Australians. Innovation and digital media should be used to make our lives better, not to replace us.

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