OpenAI just announced that it recently conducted a small-scale preview of a new tool called Voice Engine. This is a voice cloning technology that can mimic any speaker by analyzing a 15-second audio sample. The company says it generates “natural-sounding speech” with “emotive and realistic voices.” The technology is based on the company’s pre-existing text-to-speech API and it has been in the works since 2022. OpenAI has already been using a version of the toolset to power the preset voices available in the current text-to-speech API and the Read Aloud feature. There are a bunch of samples on the company’s official blog and they sound eerily close to the real thing. I encourage you to give them a listen and imagine the possibilities, both good and bad. OpenAI says they see this technology being useful for reading assistance, language translation and helping those who suffer from sudden or degenerative speech conditions. The company brought up a Brown University pilot program that helped a patient with speech impairment issues by creating a Voice Engine clone pulled from audio recorded for a school project. Despite the potential benefits, bad actors would certainly abuse this technology to engage in some serious deepfake tomfoolery, which is already a problem. With this in mind, Voice Engine isn’t quite ready for prime time, as there are serious privacy concerns that must be met before a full rollout. OpenAI acknowledges that this tech has “serious risks, which are... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-03-29 19:03:56 UTC ]
News tagged with:
#product launches
#minimal amount
#usage policies
#proactive monitoring
#prominent figures
#techcrunch uncovered
#undercut competitors
#cost $15
#million characters
#stephen king
#marketing materials
#make reference
#bestie microsoft
#reportedly cost
#audiobook
Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 04/10/2011 - 10:15 Chatto & Windus has acquired a second book by the author of the bestselling memoir The Hare with Amber Eyes Edmund de Waal. Editorial director Clara Farmer bought UK and Commonwealth rights to The White Book: A... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#white book
#de waal
#bestselling memoir
#felicity bryan
In addition to Penton Media folding 123-year old American Printer magazine, Penton's PFFC (Paper, Film & Foil Converter) is also ceasing publication with its August issue (September editorial content will be posted to the website before the digital products fold as well). Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-08-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#august issue
#ceasing publication
Booker Prize winning author Graham Swift believes digital publishing could threaten the livelihood of authors in the future because they are being paid too little. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2011-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 11/08/2011 - 08:55 Virago has acquired a second book by Paula McLain, author of this year's The Paris Wife, which told the story of Ernest Hemmingway's first wife. Associate publisher Ursula Doyle acquired UK and Commonwealth rights,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#virago acquires
#paula mclain
#paris wife
#caspian dennis
#abner stein
Time Warner Inc. released its second-quarter results today, posting its highest growth rate since third quarter 2007. Overall revenues rose 10 percent to $7 billion compared to same period 2010. Its publishing division also did wellTime Inc. boosted revenues 3 percent for the quarter, with... Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#time warner
#publishing division
#key role
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. reported revenue of $54.9 million for the second quarter of 2011 compared to $55.3 million during the same period last year. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#reported revenue
Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 19/07/2011 - 17:41 The Publishers Association is launching its second digital survey this year and could introduce a quarterly digital survey by 2012. The trade body said the survey came in response to the "significant growth" in digital sales,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#publishers association
#trade body
#significant growth
#digital sales
#ebook sales
#urged publishers
Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 11/07/2011 - 16:02 Quadrille has acquired a fourth book in its New Voices in Food series, written by food blogger Niamh Shields. Editorial director Anne Furniss bought world rights to Comfort and Spice through agent Clare Hulton. The book... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#fourth book
Written By: The Bookseller News Team Publication Date: Fri, 08/07/2011 - 14:19 Publishers are optimistic about the next six months, despite a number of big houses turning in their worst first half-year Nielsen BookScan TCM sales performances for years, with ebook growth already beginning to... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#publishers seek
#publishers put
#ebook growth
#james daunt
Cinchcast, whose technology has been used by BlogTalkRadio since 2006, released a cloud-based audio solution for digital publishers. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#digital publishers
Arts editor Will Gompertz's second report into the impact of technology on the publishing industry Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2011-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#arts editor
#publishing industry
Sara Lloyd, Pan Macmillan: "The basic process of writing will stay quite stable, but the authors who will do particularly well are ones who think about how to build a digital audience." Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2011-06-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#sara lloyd
#pan macmillan
#digital audience
Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Tue, 14/06/2011 - 16:09 John Grisham's The Confession (Arrow) has retained its position at the summit of the Official UK Top 50 despite a 24% drop in sales week-on-week. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#grisham top
#confession arrow
Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 10/06/2011 - 10:49 Weidenfeld & Nicolson has triumphed in an auction for the second novel by American author Maria Semple, staking a six-figure sum for the title. Editorial director Arzu Tahsin bought UK and Commonwealth rights to... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#six-figure sum
#andrew kidd
#final round
Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 09/06/2011 - 09:19 Private equity firm Najafi Companies is reportedly in discussions to buy Borders in America. The Wall Street Journal said "people familiar with the matter" said the firm, which usually makes investments of $1bn or less, is in... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#people familiar
#$1bn
#bookstore chain
Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Tue, 24/05/2011 - 15:55 Kate McCann's Madeleine (Bantam Press) was comfortably the bestselling book at UK booksellers for the second week running, selling 63,909 copies in its first full week on sale. It brings total sales of the hardback edition of... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#bestselling book
#week running
#full week
#uk booksellers
#hardback edition
#non-fiction titles
#records began
#delia smith
#david beckham
#tony blair
Barnes & Noble Inc. is expected to debut a new e-reader on Tuesday, marking the latest chapter in the bookseller's battle with Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. to dominate the fast-growing digital book sales business. Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#barnes noble
#latest chapter
Barnes & Noble Inc. said that Liberty Media Corp. has offered to buy the bookseller in a deal valuing it at about $1 billion. Barnes & Noble shares were up 20 percent in after-hours trading Thursday on the news, matching the $17-a-share offer price from John Malone's media empire. Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#barnes noble
#deal valuing
#$1 billion
#john malone
#media empire
Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 18/05/2011 - 14:47 Amazon.com has announced the launch of its second publishing imprint this month, with Thomas & Mercer to focus on mysteries and thrillers. The imprint is named after the streets that flank Amazon's Seattle headquarters and... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#publishing imprint
#thomas mercer
#audio formats
#independent booksellers
The Audio Publishers Association is set to kick off its 14th annual June Is Audiobook Month campaign, designed to celebrate the industry and bring greater awareness of audiobooks. As formats and consumer habits have changed over the past 10 yearssometimes dramaticallyaudio publishers have kept... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#consumer habits