British actors urge new law to protect personal voice from AI cloning

Over 80 figures from the performing arts, among them Matt Lucas, Hugh Bonneville and Nicola Coughlan, have written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham requesting a law that would give every UK resident a legal right to own their voice. They warn that AI systems can produce realistic voice clones in minutes from minimal audio, endangering narrators, actors and singers. Alice Sockett, an audiobook narrator and campaign founder, called the phenomenon an existential threat to the sector, noting a weekly rise in voice theft.

The government, while acknowledging the creative potential of digital replicas, announced plans for a consultation to balance innovation with protection. Signatories such as Siobhán McSweeney and Sandi Thom stressed the importance of preserving human connection, and experts like Mathilde Pavis have warned existing legislation is outdated. Nonetheless, some individuals with speech impairments have welcomed voice-cloning technology for personal use.