EP 152: Turning Snoop Dogg's Voice Into AI - The Speechify Story
Nov 27, 2023
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Cliff Weitzman, the dyslexic Founder and CEO of Speechify, discusses the fascinating world of AI voice technology. He reveals how celebrity voices like Snoop Dogg’s are being integrated into text-to-speech applications, enhancing user engagement. The conversation also dives into ethical concerns surrounding AI voice cloning, addressing safety and consent. Cliff shares insights on the practical uses of Speechify in professional settings, emphasizing its impact on accessibility and learning, while hinting at a future where written words might take a backseat to spoken ones.
Text-to-speech technology, like Speechify, is revolutionizing the way people consume information and learn, allowing multitasking and faster information intake.
As text-to-speech technology becomes more advanced, it is crucial to establish guidelines and regulations to protect individuals' voices, prevent impersonation, and address potential misuse of synthetic voices.
Deep dives
The Future of Text-to-Speech and Generative AI
Text-to-speech technology, like Speechify, is revolutionizing the way people consume information and learn. It allows individuals to listen to content instead of reading, enabling multitasking and faster information intake. With advancements in AI and language models, text-to-speech voices have become more realistic and customizable. Platforms like Speechify offer a wide range of voices, including celebrity voices like Snoop Dogg and Gwyneth Paltrow. These partnerships with celebrities not only enhance user experience but also create new opportunities for content consumption and personalization. The future of text-to-speech looks promising, with expanding language support, improved voice quality, and potential integration with other AI technologies like machine translation and voice cloning.
Safety and Ethical Considerations
As text-to-speech technology becomes more advanced, it raises important safety and ethical concerns. Safeguarding voice authenticity is crucial, ensuring that voices are used with proper consent and preventing misuse. Speechify takes measures to protect voice ownership and prevent unauthorized voice cloning. The platform restricts voice cloning to personal use and requires physical presence for voice cloning activation. As the technology evolves, it is crucial to establish guidelines and regulations to protect individuals' voices, prevent impersonation, and address potential misuse of synthetic voices.
Wide Range of Applications
Text-to-speech technology has diverse applications across various fields. It enables individuals with learning differences, such as dyslexia, ADHD, or visual impairments, to access information more easily. Students and professionals can use text-to-speech for efficient information consumption, including reading emails, Google Docs, PDFs, and news articles. Speechify's partnership with publishers also allows access to a vast library of AI-supported audiobooks. Beyond personal use, businesses can leverage text-to-speech for voiceovers, translations, and transcription services. The technology empowers individuals to unlock their potential, bridge literacy gaps, and enhance productivity.
The Power of Speed and Personalization
Speechify offers customizable speed options, enabling users to listen to content at different paces. This feature benefits individuals with ADHD, enabling faster information processing. Users can also listen to content using their own voice, enhancing retention and familiarity. The Speechify platform supports over 80 languages, making it accessible to users worldwide. Additionally, the ability to personalize voices, including Snoop Dogg, Gwyneth Paltrow, and others, enhances engagement and adds entertainment value. The future holds potential for more personalized experiences, enhanced recommendations, and collaborative features for teams, making text-to-speech an indispensable tool for learning, productivity, and communication.
Will the future of GenAI lead to using AI celebrity voices? How will tech like AI voice cloning come into play? Cliff Weitzman, Founder and CEO of Speechify, joins us to discuss how it's text-to-speech AI is shaping the future of GenAI and its capabilities.
Timestamps: [00:01:00] Daily AI news [00:03:40] About Cliff and Speechify [00:07:20] Celebrity AI voices and Speechify [00:12:50] Safety in text-to-voice space [00:18:12] Use cases for text-to-speech [00:21:05] Audience questions [00:24:10] Future of text-to-speech [00:27:28] Is written word becoming less impactful? [00:31:30] Using text-to-speech as professionals
Topics Covered in This Episode: 1. Speechify's features and applications 2. Practical uses of Speechify 3. Concerns and precautions regarding AI-generated voices 4. Text-to-speech advancements and future prospects
Keywords: Snoop Dogg, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mr. Beast, Speechify, voice generation, deep learning, fine-tuning, celebrities, free version, premium version, reading, email, Google Docs, news, PDFs, physical documents, user affinity, AI engineering team, exceptional data, Meta, AI safety, real estate, sales, Chrome extension, web app, Mac app, contracts, terms of service, AI phone, AI smartphone, generative AI roles, learning differences, voice cloning, authenticity, identity theft, scams, reading speed, dyslexia, decoding challenge, multiplayer experience, translation, customization, books, content, audiobooks, learning, nursing programs, AI