Voice cloning chaos: Australian journalist’s AI alarm sounds warning bell
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In an age where technology is advancing at a breakneck pace, the lines between reality and artificial fabrication are becoming increasingly blurred.
This was highlighted in a recent incident involving a respected figure in Australian journalism, whose distinctive voice was replicated by artificial intelligence (AI) without her consent, leaving her—and others—pondering the implications of such technology.
Channel 10 newsreader Sandra Sully, who has over three decades of experience in journalism, was understandably alarmed when she discovered that an AI had mimicked her voice for use in a podcast.
The podcast, which dealt with the grim topic of child abuse, featured a segment in which an AI-generated voice eerily resembling Sully's announced a headline.
While the podcast's producers acknowledged that it wasn't Sully's actual voice, the fact that it could be replicated so accurately was cause for concern.
During her appearance on The Project, Sully shared her reaction to hearing the ‘fake’ version of her voice, which was so convincing that even her colleagues were fooled.
‘I did not record that voice but when I heard it, it sounded just like me,’ she told Sarah Harris on the show.
‘I ran it by a couple of my colleagues, and they said, “Gosh it sounds just like you.”’
According to Sully, the incident didn't make her feel ‘violated’, but it certainly left her feeling ‘alarmed’.
‘The more I thought about it…if it was that easy to rip off your voice that's pretty uncomfortable because you don't know where this is going to end,’ she continued.
‘So if I'm arguably some trusted voice in news then how can that be manipulated and for what purposes good, bad or evil? And that's pretty scary.’
Sully seemed to regard her AI ‘rip-off’ encounter as a cautionary tale and shared some advice with the viewers.
‘When you are in our business and we were always banging on about the importance of trusted news sources and services this is a reminder that you can't always believe everything you see hear or read,’ she reminded.
‘And you must make sure it comes from a reliable source.’
Sully, who started her professional journey at Channel 10 in Brisbane, now anchors 10 News First Sydney.
Since joining the Ten News team in 1990, she holds the distinction of being the first Australian journalist to report on the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
As Sandra Sully shares her unsettling encounter with AI technology mimicking her voice, it underscores the increasing sophistication of artificial intelligence.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential misuse of such technology, as seen in recent reports of scammers creating AI clones of public figures to deceive unsuspecting individuals.
This was exemplified by a case involving an Australian politician targeted to swindle Bitcoin investors.
Have you encountered any similar experiences with AI in your life? How do you ensure the news you receive is from trustworthy sources? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
This was highlighted in a recent incident involving a respected figure in Australian journalism, whose distinctive voice was replicated by artificial intelligence (AI) without her consent, leaving her—and others—pondering the implications of such technology.
Channel 10 newsreader Sandra Sully, who has over three decades of experience in journalism, was understandably alarmed when she discovered that an AI had mimicked her voice for use in a podcast.
The podcast, which dealt with the grim topic of child abuse, featured a segment in which an AI-generated voice eerily resembling Sully's announced a headline.
While the podcast's producers acknowledged that it wasn't Sully's actual voice, the fact that it could be replicated so accurately was cause for concern.
Channel 10 news anchor Sandra Sully found her voice replicated by AI on a podcast without her permission. Credits: Instagram / @shortblack_
During her appearance on The Project, Sully shared her reaction to hearing the ‘fake’ version of her voice, which was so convincing that even her colleagues were fooled.
‘I did not record that voice but when I heard it, it sounded just like me,’ she told Sarah Harris on the show.
‘I ran it by a couple of my colleagues, and they said, “Gosh it sounds just like you.”’
According to Sully, the incident didn't make her feel ‘violated’, but it certainly left her feeling ‘alarmed’.
‘The more I thought about it…if it was that easy to rip off your voice that's pretty uncomfortable because you don't know where this is going to end,’ she continued.
‘So if I'm arguably some trusted voice in news then how can that be manipulated and for what purposes good, bad or evil? And that's pretty scary.’
Sully seemed to regard her AI ‘rip-off’ encounter as a cautionary tale and shared some advice with the viewers.
‘When you are in our business and we were always banging on about the importance of trusted news sources and services this is a reminder that you can't always believe everything you see hear or read,’ she reminded.
‘And you must make sure it comes from a reliable source.’
Sully, who started her professional journey at Channel 10 in Brisbane, now anchors 10 News First Sydney.
Since joining the Ten News team in 1990, she holds the distinction of being the first Australian journalist to report on the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
As Sandra Sully shares her unsettling encounter with AI technology mimicking her voice, it underscores the increasing sophistication of artificial intelligence.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential misuse of such technology, as seen in recent reports of scammers creating AI clones of public figures to deceive unsuspecting individuals.
This was exemplified by a case involving an Australian politician targeted to swindle Bitcoin investors.
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