Post AapyIJiljhPyTRe12m by robini71@mastodon.social
(DIR) More posts by robini71@mastodon.social
(DIR) Post #AapwkWiknTYWzYxdyq by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-16T19:06:52Z
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I wonder how y'all feel about AI voices.I just finished an episode in which I read a listener's emailed question before answering it. I just read it myself, but it occurred to me it could be more fun and add some audio variety if I used an AI voice to read it instead of my own.If I had prefaced it with something like, "And here's Jennifer's question, dramatized with an AI voice for your listening pleasure," how would you feel about that?
(DIR) Post #AapwudLN1oP6QbqK5A by menelion@dragonscave.space
2023-10-16T19:08:41Z
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@grammargirl It's OK if you use something of higher quality, like ElevenLabs, for example.
(DIR) Post #Aapx1A4iFMitgEAEqW by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-16T19:09:53Z
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@menelion Yeah, that's what I was thinking about using!
(DIR) Post #AapxGT5DrC0gychXtY by alexhall@mastodon.social
2023-10-16T19:12:40Z
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@grammargirl That's a much more difficult question to answer than I expected. I'm not in the "no way" camp, but I don't love it either. I'd rather hear the listener's own voice, or have you read it. But is that just my bias toward the familiar? If you gave Aardvark and Squiggly their own, recognizable AI voices, I honestly don't know if I'd love it or hate it. I'm all for AI, but I can't tell what's making me hesitate about letting it touch my podcasts.
(DIR) Post #AapxHKTVLdvQZHTBbM by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-16T19:12:49Z
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@jalefkowit Ah, I see what you're saying. I was just thinking of having it read the text word-for-word.
(DIR) Post #AapxWYAKjDUxNBlCmO by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-16T19:15:35Z
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@alexhall I know what you mean. I had Pat voice Squiggly a few times in the past and didn't even think twice about it.I could have him read the question for vocal variety, but why not AI? Yet somehow it feels different. But I think it might just be because it's new. Or maybe not. I'm just trying to figure it out.
(DIR) Post #AapyIJiljhPyTRe12m by robini71@mastodon.social
2023-10-16T19:24:13Z
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@grammargirl Speaking strictly for myself as one who consumes much content through voice whether synthesized or human, I vote for keep it simple. Just to read listeners questions I'd be just as happy to hear you read it yourself in the example you cited.
(DIR) Post #AapyM736nAJwKZy4sC by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-16T19:24:51Z
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@robini71 Thanks!
(DIR) Post #AapyUWnuv4KeWcsJfM by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-16T19:26:24Z
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it just occurred to me that I should have asked first how listeners would feel about having just another person read the question, and then followed up with asking about a synthetic voice. It would be interesting to see the difference.
(DIR) Post #AapyvqeFFR8ltBNVmC by datn@xoxo.zone
2023-10-16T19:31:19Z
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@grammargirl for my part I'm good with another reader but anti-"AI".
(DIR) Post #AapyxHfkG4DrzblSyG by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-16T19:31:38Z
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@datn Thanks!
(DIR) Post #AapzAU4rRoM2ENo4ga by robini71@mastodon.social
2023-10-16T19:33:59Z
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@grammargirl I still say keep it simple it's kind of why sometimes some of us prefer audio books as opposed to those classified as audio dramatizations which are more like performances vs. straight reads.
(DIR) Post #Aapzt70y2cLJjaGXGy by kate@aus.social
2023-10-16T19:42:00Z
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@grammargirl To me it’s similar to how I feel when a chat bot pops up on a website. The more personified it is, the worse I feel about it. “Hi, it’s Olivia!” “No, no it isn’t. There is no Olivia. Stop this.”I think something about faking human voices makes us sad.
(DIR) Post #AapzxVekMlmRJiy92W by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-16T19:42:52Z
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@kate Thanks for the perspective.
(DIR) Post #Aaq4lBNsPYWAjx1H4y by cwwilkie@zirk.us
2023-10-16T20:36:39Z
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@grammargirl I suspect many people will harbor a reflexive bias against an AI voice, regardless of the quality. I'm not one of those people.
(DIR) Post #Aaq5CpMjru2KYlfZGi by MichaelPorter@ottawa.place
2023-10-16T20:41:39Z
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@grammargirl This is a staffing thing, but I always found it really effective to have another person read the question, which you would then answer. It’s human, and a sidekick makes a nice proxy for audience members.
(DIR) Post #Aaq6SyRC0VPhHc12Mi by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-16T20:55:46Z
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@MichaelPorter I agree, but you're right that it's a staffing thing. I work from home and just have my husband here. It's a pain to record with other QDT team members because I usually record when the urge strikes me instead of on a schedule, and it's none of their jobs to voice things with me. It would just be a favor, and it doesn't seem worth changing my whole workflow.I'll keep doing it the way I have been, but the responses are interesting, and I'm surprised people are so opposed.
(DIR) Post #Aaq6mTqVSL1qCE9pAm by MichaelPorter@ottawa.place
2023-10-16T20:59:18Z
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@grammargirl I definitely say “ugh” when I hear artificial voices. It always mystifies me when I watch videos where instead of just narrating, the creator puts in an obviously artificial voice.
(DIR) Post #Aaq7DcKo0GgELHGlv6 by CStamp@mastodon.social
2023-10-16T21:04:10Z
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@grammargirl @MichaelPorter I don't like the sound, it grates on my nerves.
(DIR) Post #Aaq7NN9NJU1891ZgbA by CStamp@mastodon.social
2023-10-16T21:05:57Z
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@grammargirl For me, it would be the same. I don't like the sound of synthetic voices.
(DIR) Post #AaqD6zOcSikNZ2HBOC by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-16T22:10:15Z
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@MichaelPorter I can’t tell the difference in the newest ones I’ve heard lately, but I know what you mean about the other artificial voices.
(DIR) Post #AaqDJE7VXp2mhl6jaq by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-16T22:12:20Z
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@michaelgalassi I wouldn’t do it if it sounded like some rando robot voice, but the newest voices I’ve heard lately sound completely human, and there are many to choose from, so in a way, I would be giving the emailer a voice of my choosing.
(DIR) Post #AaqGSE3HT1KSxi74W8 by cmdln@thecommandline.social
2023-10-16T22:47:38Z
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@grammargirl I voted it's fine though it wasn't that I don't care. I think your preface and this very specific use are fine, especially since your stated alternative is you reading the email. Still I do worry a little that this is a bit of a slippery slope that could lead to real impacts on the livelihood of working voice actors.
(DIR) Post #AaqKqDVhX2lK366NUG by ARPGena@mstdn.party
2023-10-16T23:36:49Z
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@grammargirl At this time, I can tell if it is a non-human voice. I was listening to a video the other day and it could not pronounce more than three syllables in a word. Something like architecture. I do not like voice cloning at all. For every legit reason is a bad, very bad reason for doing it for profit. A get out of jail card: a comical character you AI into existence. The Gramatone 3000 or something like that.
(DIR) Post #AaqQHM48KZuKAky156 by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-17T00:37:47Z
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@cmdln I have that worry too. There are many cases like mine here, where someone would never hire a voice actor, but the more comfortable people get with it, the more likely it is to be used in those other cases.
(DIR) Post #AaqQSfeXqWYU6gOUeu by Her_Doing@wandering.shop
2023-10-16T22:44:06Z
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@kate @grammargirlI'm definitely in the 'ick' camp. You've taken Jennifer, a whole, complex human being & completely dehumanised her. Her words are all you have of her, & now you've separated her from them by a degree, & us from herI'd be upset if I were Jennifer & heard you doing that with my question; I'd feel you weren't taking me seriously & I was only possible entertainment valueIt would also distract me from both the question & your answer b/c all I'd be thinking about is the voice
(DIR) Post #AaqQSglfhVqlZ4jhPE by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-17T00:39:50Z
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@Her_Doing @kate I was thinking of that too. Would Jennifer care? I feel like she might, although I don't really see how it dehumanizes her any more than if I read the email. (But don't worry, I'm not going to do it.)
(DIR) Post #AaqQhFSPWVzRCpfZFg by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-17T00:42:28Z
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@Her_Doing @kate Also, I'm super curious ... would you feel the same way if I had my husband read the question? Something like, "Hey, Pat, we I got an interesting question from Jennifer this week. Will you read it for us?," and then he reads the email instead of me.
(DIR) Post #AarP1O3PGVNIuSPQ2a by Her_Doing@wandering.shop
2023-10-17T11:58:22Z
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@grammargirl @kate Because you're human too! 😊 Because *you* will understand (or possibly misunderstand) the intention of the question and be able to read the question with feeling and put emphasis on the right syllables.Having an artificial voice read it when there is no reason for it - or worse, consciously announce it "for your listening pleasure" a) breaks the connection between your listener & any illusion you are having a conversation, & b) makes Jennifer & her question a gimmick.
(DIR) Post #AarPfPU7MfuMvkzHcm by Her_Doing@wandering.shop
2023-10-17T12:05:33Z
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@grammargirl @kate I didn't suggest this because I was under the impression it was a one-host show, but no, I wouldn't mind if he read it, as part of an on-going back-&-forth conversation between you. (Not so much if he was brought in just for this.)I appreciate both the quiz and the follow-up questions! 🙏
(DIR) Post #AaroBGfc4QVxl85WaG by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-17T16:40:17Z
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@Her_Doing @kate Thanks for your thoughtful comments! The best solution is when people call in their questions, which is usually the case, and I favor using calls over emails because they add that variety I'm looking for in the listeners own voice. But every once in a while, I do want to use a great question that came in by email instead of voicemail.I will just keep reading them myself.
(DIR) Post #AaroGZiUgRIyHKxyFc by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-17T16:41:14Z
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@Her_Doing @kate And I know I could email back and ask the person to call, but it seems like a hassle, and sometimes when people call, the quality isn't good enough to use, and then it becomes a difficult back-and-forth.I don't have the resources of NPR, lol.
(DIR) Post #Aas73WASSv6CdVX9Jw by Her_Doing@wandering.shop
2023-10-17T20:11:46Z
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@grammargirl @katePlus schedules get tricky, especially if they are parents & have little ones running around, or if you're awake at 3.00 am and are up for getting some extra work in ...But the main thing is what you said; just the connection alone can be spotty & that's hard to fix on the fly! 😬
(DIR) Post #Aas8KwYTi84FLudrNo by kate@aus.social
2023-10-17T20:23:40Z
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@Her_Doing @grammargirl In the health service where I provide advice as a patient advocate, there is a strong commitment to collecting patient stories and sharing these at committees. Through the process of collection, transcription, paraphrasing, tidying the grammar, editing for brevity and finally someone else reading it aloud, the patient’s own voice is lost. But there’s something else that survives when the versioning of their experience involves human reflection, decision and recitation. When I encounter another human, I encounter their mortality. That’s what makes us human.
(DIR) Post #Aas8KxKgosdFlRCMWu by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-17T20:26:09Z
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@kate @Her_Doing That's a great perspective too, Kate.