*DataPoint* Did We Just Replace a Human with AI?

In this DataPoint, Frank examines whether or not the new AI voice over tech really replaced a human or did it open up new creative options instead?

Transcript 

Speaker 1 

Hey, what's up? It's Frank here. 

Speaker 1 

From data driven the podcast where we explore the emerging fields of data science machine learning and artificial intelligence, so the title of this data. Point is did AI take just take away someone's job. Well, yes, and no so here's an example so. 

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So rather, quantum answer, isn't it right? It's both yes and no at the same time. See what I did there? So this is actually in regards to the voice over artist that we used to have on the show, but for both data driven and. 

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Impact quantum but. 

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I just recorded something today for impact quantum, so this isn't this isn't just a cheap kind of product placement for the other show. This is a serious thing, so if we go and we listen to this. 

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Hello and welcome to this episode of impact quantum. This episode is titled freaking cubits how do they work? 

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So basically that is an artificially an AI generated voice that we've been using. 

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Probably since the three year anniversary prior to that we used someone an voiceover artist I found on fiber called shifty pop. Awesome work that she does. 

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Um and her turn around is pretty quick too, but. 

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She also doesn't do voiceover work anymore. She just singing kind of stuff which is still cool. So definitely check her out and tell her data driven center sent you. But the key here is that. 

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We would love to be in a position where budget Wise. We could have a voiceover artist custom do this. But just was never practical right for every show, however, with the AI. 

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I can. 

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Create a custom intro for every show and eventually a custom outro outro at the end too. 

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See we've done that were on data driven a few times an every episode of impact quantum has been that now part of that is just you know, practical right so I can type up what I need to type have the voice over artist say tweak the voice settings or whatever, although we have kind of a setting we like. 

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And hit generate and I have a wave file right away for MP3 actions. What generates. 

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Right away, right? So I have that instantaneous feedback, right? So there's the time and it doesn't cost me anything extra to do that. I I I spent $30 or something on some web based platform so it can actually pull in voice wave voice generation capabilities from Google, Amazon as well as as Azure so I have. 

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All that ability kind of depict the voices. Pick the accents. I can even do a child's voice a man's voice. I mean, it's obviously a lady's voice. I can do that. I can do that right away. I paid for it basically one time and I can get that. So in a sense. 

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I was actually having a discussion with my manager. Actually, wow, you've put somebody out of work. 

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And yes and No. 

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So I hired a voiceover artist three years ago. 

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Yeah, 3 1/2 years ago an I paid her I think was like ended up being $50 or so. So for less than the cost of re engaging her to do a voiceover I now can create custom voiceovers with different voices, different accents, different gender. 

Speaker 1 

I can do all sorts different ages. I could do all sorts of things there, where as before I, I guess. I guess I could go through fiber and find that selection, but I can't do it on demand and a lot of case you haven't figured this out by now. A lot of what Andy and I do is ad hoc. We don't really do we do preparation, but not to the degree that I think. 

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We present it, we do so I think that what what? This gives us the agility an the cost point. So in a sense yes. did I replace a human being with an AI generated voice? Yes I did, but I wouldn't say that. 

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I put her out of work because I wasn't going to engage her anyway because it $30 to $50 or more per engagement. 

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Wasn't going to do it anyway. 

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Right, so this gets into that. That real question have I replaced? 

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A person and the answer is yes and no. In in, in the strictest sense, yes. But honestly, I really wasn't going to engage her for at least another year to do another voice over. 

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You know the podcast isn't well monetized right now. Speaking of monetizing. 

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You can check out this cool shirt I'm wearing. If you're watching the video, it's the data graffiti shirt. Just search for it on Amazon data graffiti. It looks an awful lot like the obey stickers you might have seen up and down East Coast, and I think I've seen it in London a few times. 

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Once you see it, you'll kind of. It'll trigger your memory. Also, we are looking for sponsors, so if you want to sponsor this show, hit me up. 

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But so in a sense. 

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AI has opened up an opportunity for us that was really kind of closed before. 

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And I'm sure there's a fancy economic word or economic model for this, but this is just something AI has enabled that really wasn't going to spring the money for a custom voiceover. 

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For every show. 

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So I don't know. I think this is worth further discussion, but I also think you know it's not exactly. 

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It's not as a clear cut answer yes or no. It's it's very quantum if you will. 

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So with that. 

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I'm going to. 

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Wish you a good day and hope you have a great weekend.