Developing your real voice can still be a great factor to differentiate yourself from others.
As technology advances, especially when we are seeing how powerful Chatgpt is, industries are beginning to explore the potential of AI to automate tasks. One area that has seen significant development in recent years is the field of voice over work. I have come across some AI voice services that can now produce voice overs that are clear, concise, and informative. You can immediately hear your voice over work once you have inputted the text.
So in this situation, it’s never been so easy for people who are not voice actors to come up with professional-sounding voice over productions without walking into a studio, and also at very low cost or even free, while you normally would spend over $100 for simply just 1 minute read by a professional voice over artist, not including the studio cost.
But do we really no longer need a real voice-over artist in the future? I don’t think so, since I believe that there are certain aspects of voice over work that AI technology simply cannot replicate. In this blog post, I’ll explore the importance of the human voice in voice over work and why the human voice still values a lot more than what an AI voice can do.
Firstly, it's important to understand that the human voice is incredibly versatile and expressive. When we speak, we use tone, inflection, and emphasis based on different contexts to convey not just information, but also emotion and intention. Our speech tone and style changes naturally and freely from the different intention with eye contact. This is something that AI voices struggle to replicate in today’s technology. In my view, AI can certainly produce clear and accurate voice overs, they are great for providing general information and fast, but it cannot capture the nuance and subtlety of human speech.
This is particularly true when it comes to voice over work that requires emotional connection and natural performance. Whether you're narrating an audiobook, recording a commercial, or providing voice over for a video game or animated feature, the emotional connection or the intention you make with your audience is key to creating a successful voice over. This requires not just clear and accurate speech, but also an ability to convey emotion and intention through your voice.
One reason for that is that the AI voice-over performance is pre-recorded, we are limited to the emotional state and the tone of that moment when the voice actor did the recording. If we create a voice performance imagining the speaker is speaking to you specifically, we may not be able to get a good result with AI because that voice actor probably didn’t have the intention of looking at his/her audience when doing the recording.
Therefore natural performance with an intention is something that only a human can provide freely. When we speak naturally, most of the time we have an intention or an object to talk to, and using a wide range of inflections and expressions that are unique to our own personal style. While AI can replicate a certain amount of variability, it cannot truly replicate the natural, intuitive performance of a human voice over artist.
As a voice over teacher, I believe that the key to success in this field is focusing on the areas where AI cannot compete at this stage - developing a voice over ability not to just provide accurate information but with natural and convincing style, emotional connection, and a variety of changes.
“Being natural and convincing first and then techniques” is my special method for helping my students develop the skills and techniques necessary to succeed in a competitive and ever-changing industry. By learning how to connect with their audience on an emotional level and convey information in a natural and engaging way, our students will be well-positioned to thrive in a world where the human voice is still essential.
In conclusion, while today’s AI technology has certainly made significant strides in the field of voice over work, it cannot fully replicate the unique emotional connection and natural performance of the human voice. By emphasizing the importance of these aspects in our teaching and training programs, we can help our students develop the skills and techniques necessary to succeed in this exciting and rewarding industry.
Learn with Tony Chen:
With 15+ years of professional voice-over performance experience, bilingual English/Chinese voice actor Tony has honed the ability to effectively grab the listener’s attention and engage with them through his crisp, polished delivery. He has worked on projects for clients from over 10 countries, including Universal Studios Hollywood, Microsoft, Amazon, UFC Fight PASS, PepsiCo, Tiffany & Co, and more. With the unique method of "performing naturally first and then techniques", Tony’s professional voice coaching program quickly transforms your voice/singing performance to the next level."