Teresa Lim has one of the most recognisable voices in Australia. For 23 years, she has been the voice behind radio and television advertisements, selling listeners on everything from baby formula to Test cricket. But despite her extensive portfolio, she’s become increasingly worried that she is going to be replaced by AI.
It’s a well-grounded fear. AI has been blamed for more than 1,000 job cuts in Australia in the past few months. Tech company Atlassian on Thursday announced they would shed 500 jobs in Australia as part of a global round of 1,600 redundancies, and experts warn there could be more to come as companies seek to use technological advancements to cut costs.
In Lim’s case, companies who have previously hired her for voiceover work could now use an AI-generated dupe, made from just a 15-second clip of her speech.
“It is terrifying not just for voice actors, but for the general Australian public, because currently we have no legislation in place that makes that illegal,” she says.
