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Fri, 28 Aug 2026

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 Matt Lucas and Hugh Bonneville among actors calling for law on AI voice cloning

The performers are asking the government to give every person in the UK a legal right to own their voice.

* The performers are asking Prime Minister Andy Burnham to introduce legislation that would give every person in the UK a legal right to own their voice.
* Voice clones can be created using just a few seconds of audio, but high-quality copies require hours of recording.
* Performers argue that this is an "existential threat" to their industry and that they are seeing an increase in voice theft every week.
* A government spokesperson has said that while digital replicas can be beneficial, there is also a risk of harm, and the government will launch a consultation on how to address these issues.
* The performers argue that audiences want human connection, not AI-generated voices, and that their unique voices are what make them special.
* Some people have welcomed technology that allows them to replicate a person's voice, particularly those who have lost their ability to speak due to illness.