VOICE OF AI

Voice communication is a shared activity resulting in transfer of information across brains. It is not mere exchange of words but rather a transfer of detailed information among individuals involved. The brain synchronises twin goals of talking and understanding when the speaker and listener effectively communicate.

On average the listener’s brain activity responds with the some delay. In cases where anticipatory responses are involved, effectiveness of communication increases.

• An example for this can be friends at reunion. Even though they meet after a long time they can anticipate each other’s responses and communicate very effectively.

AI Voice Pros:

Control-

• Different platforms allow users to have full control over a completely unique voice customised for a brand.
• The brand can have complete ownership over that voice.

Cost-

• Platforms like voice over provide these services at very low cost for users.

Instant production-

• As soon as one inputs the words, AI voice interpretation of the content can be available at the click of a button.

AI Voice Cons:

Ethics-

• The use of robots to sound like humans has raised several ethical questions.
• Should customer be informed about the use of robot when providing them services?

Far from real human-

• The latest AI Voice advancements are impressive but one can still detect a layer of robotic, non-human sounding tones and inflection. There’s a good chance that this may be detected by the customers.

Authenticity-

• When a real person (be it a celebrity or well-known public figure) voices the brand, that person’s lifestyle and ethos are layered on to how people will view your brand.
• Think of Viral Kohli for the Puma Company. His aggressive and intimidating voice and perceived public lifestyle ooze into the advertisements he does for Puma. This, in turn, makes the customer associate those traits with the brand.

Human Voice Pros:

Real-

• A human voice will always be a human voice. No amount of programming will allow a robot to communicate the way that a completely unique person, who has a world of specific experiences and moments in their life, can.
• Everyone’s journey shapes their voice. That takes a lifetime, not the short time span required for programming and simulation.

Fewer legal headaches-

• Next to no laws have been put in place to police AI Voice companies on how robots can communicate like humans, to humans.

Human Voice Over Cons:

Limited Career and Lifespan-

• It may seem morbid, but if a particular human voice represents a brand, that individual has a limited lifespan and at any point, could change careers or retire.

Variable Compensation-

• Humans seek more compensation for their work.
• The scale of pay for a voice actor can depend on many factors, including their experience, level of fame and ultimately or their skill.

When Should a Brand Use a Synthetic Voice?

• Is it better to choose a synthetic voice or go with the default voice that comes with providers like Amazon and Google? And, when should human voice actor be used?

Human versus Synthetic Decision Making

• It can be seen from the image that people are comfortable listening to a synthetic or automated voice if those voice prompts are less than 1-minute long.
• For example, announcements in the airport. These messages are often delivered by a synthetic voice.
• Another ideal use case is asking questions that yield quick answers, like ‘What is the weather like today.”

Future Ahead-

Here are some of the mediums where AI voice can be used-

• Branded podcasts
• In voice localisation like done by voice over
• Alexa Skills, Google Actions, etc. — the new ‘app’ on home voice-assistant devices
• Audio content of blog/website (enhancement, extension of video marketing strategy etc.)
• Creating a soundmark for a brand to be used in new audio mediums.