"OpenAI's Controversial Voice Cloning Technology Sparks Safety Concerns"
OpenAI has unveiled its new Voice Engine technology that can clone a person's voice with just 15 seconds of recording, but has decided not to release it publicly due to safety concerns related to potential misuse, especially in an election year. The company plans to preview the technology with early testers who have agreed not to impersonate a person without their consent and to disclose that the voices are AI-generated. This move comes amid ongoing investigations into AI-generated robocalls mimicking public figures. Despite the decision to hold back the release, OpenAI's trademark application suggests its intention to enter the speech recognition and digital voice assistant market, potentially competing with products like Amazon's Alexa.