Apple has just quietly launched a series of audiobooks read by Madison, a digital voice that uses artificial intelligence to tell stories in place of a human voice actor. An evolution that does not only make people happy…
In recent times, artificial intelligence (AI) has made spectacular advances. Just look at the incredible results given by the two popular OpenAI tools: DALL-E, which generates images via simple textual descriptions, and; above all, ChatGPT, the conversational AI capable of providing complex answers on all kinds of subjects in a natural, almost human language. A technology that fascinates as much as it worries, because it jeopardizes creative professions (artists, authors, journalists, etc.). This is another sector and another profession that could well experience a real revolution. Indeed, as reported by the newspaper The Guardian, Apple has just released a series of audiobooks… without a human narrator. In fact, it is an artificial intelligence that reads the stories, with an artificial voice! The launch, which for the moment only concerns books in English, was done strangely very discreetly. Now, searching for “AI Narration” in Apple’s Books app brings up a list of books that Madison has read entirely, “a digital voice inspired by human narration“.
Madison: an AI that will shake up the audiobook sector
The audio book market is a flourishing sector (+25% in one year) which brought in more than 1.5 billion dollars last year. Industry insiders estimate that the global market could be worth more than $35 billion by 2030. No wonder Apple wants to make its mark there – Amazon, Spotify and Google are also getting into the fight – especially since, in replacing the narrator with an AI, the firm gets rid of an important player in the chain, which means less costs and less time spent on production.
Thus, in recent months, Apple has approached independent publishers as potential partners, including in the Canadian market. The firm had promised them that it would cover the production costs and that the writers would receive royalties from sales – but not all agreed. Initially, the audiobooks read by Madison were supposed to be released in November, but the launch was delayed due to the context. Indeed, the month was particularly turbulent for the tech sector, in particular because of Elon Musk’s escapades with Twitter and the massive layoff of Meta employees – a first in the firm’s history.
Apple audiobooks: a risky bet that does not please everyone
As with all AI work, the progress is both impressive and worrisome. Indeed, this discovery directly attacks the profession of actor. This isn’t the first time this has happened either. Already last December, an AI was used to dub voices – but in a minor way – in the video game High On Life. Such a practice, if successful and widespread, could significantly change the way big tech companies view the future of audiobooks and dubbing in general.
A trend that divides greatly, whether on the side of professionals or individuals. “The narrator brings a whole new range of artistry into audiobook creation, and we think that’s a powerful thing. He creates something that’s different from the printed book, but adds value as a form of art”, explains David Caron, co-producer at Canada’s largest audiobook publisher, to The Guardian. Same story with Carly Watters, a Canadian literary agent: “Companies see the market for audiobooks and that there is money to be made. They want to create content. But that’s all it is. That’s not what customers want to listen to .There’s so much value in storytelling and telling a story.”. There is therefore a risk for Apple to obtain negative responses in the professional sector and that individuals shun this artificial monotone voice.