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Paragraph Synthetic voices are here to stay, but they can’t replace the human connection. For this episode in the AI & Voice series, husband/wife dynamic duo Simone Kliass and Jason Bermingham join Anne to talk about digital voice technologies and the new opportunities for voiceover artists. Anne bonds with these fellow tech lovers as they discuss the perceived “tech threat” of AI, ethics, and why it’s important to “go with the flow.” Do you need a reminder of how good you are? Listen to this episode to be inspired, remember why your talent is special, and get ideas to work with the evolving market and diversify your business like a BOSS. About Simone: Voiceover specialist and XR researcher, Simone Kliass is the creator and curator of Pixel Voice, Brazil's leading voiceover conference. As a founding member and VP of the Brazilian X-reality association XRBR, Simone has given talks on XR as well as on voice branding at SXSW. Simone hosts Brazil's leading virtual reality event, acts as lead ambassador for Women in Voice, and is also the vocal identity of the São Paulo International Airport, LATAM Airlines, and SKY Pay TV. About Jason: Jason Bermingham is an American voice artist and producer who specializes in English-language narration for the Latin American market. Based in São Paulo, he has consulted on Emmy-winning films, coached for Oscar-nominated directors, organized Brazil's leading voiceover event, and contributed to the premier audio-tech magazine Sound on Sound. He has given talks and workshops at SXSW, Rio2C, HackTown, Path, and Pixel Show. Takeaways Synthetic voices are getting better every day and are here to stay When you need a human connection, you can’t replace a voice actor with an AI voice AI can’t react, listen, and respond like humans do We hear voices before we are born. It’s in our DNA. We can tell when a voice is fake If you suddenly discover a voice is an AI voice you lose trust in the message You lose the human connection, empathy, and context in copy when using an AI voice When we worry that virtual voices will make our craft obsolete, it’s important to remember how good we are at voiceover A good voice artist can create a connection with the listener that other humans typically cannot. If these other humans cannot steal your job, neither can AI There will always be clients who choose an AI voice based on budget Simone has been diversifying her business by working on Cross-Reality with the XRBR Association in Brazil You can keep your business relevant by diversifying your business One area to consider expanding your business into AR and VR VR audiences are looking for experiences that are all-encompassing, believable, and authentic VR voices and cross reality voices need English voice artists Many projects in other countries need voice actors in English, look for jobs all over the world Mixed reality, augmented reality, interactive theater, augmented audio, and 3D podcasts are new technologies that need voice actors Augmented reality, such as games like Pokemon Go, apply digital elements to the physical environment Virtual reality is a totally immersive digital experience where the viewer wears goggles Mixed reality, such as a holo lens, combines AR, VR, and real life. The Metaverse is where humans as avatars interact with each other, such as video games like Fortnite Augmented audio or podcasts are like audiobooks, but add augmented reality elements to make it more immersive Going to Clubhouse sessions, game festivals, and tech conventions can lead to new job opportunities The human relationship you have with clients will get you hired You can impress the clients by sharing “value-added” ideas to their projects, such as a digital avatar An advantage that a human voice actor has over an AI voice is the ability to have a real conversation with producers and clients A human can perform subtle nuances and bring value-added components that an AI voice cannot offer People want a real human connection, especially due to the pandemic Everybody involved in AI, including voice artists, should be educated on ethics Women in Voice tries to help companies understand the race, gender, sexuality biases that exist in the voice industry and help them to change You can help the ethical companies to succeed by only working with companies that you believe are ethical When a company is acting ethically, they will be open with you and answer any questions that you have Referenced in the Episode Simone Kliass’s Website Women in Voice Jason Bermingham’s Website Christy Bowen Spoke about losing jobs to AI Learn more about Cross Reality Brazil Simone spoke at SXSW Online in 2020