What happened

Networking product company Dot used an AI-generated clone of Brownlee's voice to promote their Dot Metal product in an Instagram ad. 

Brownlee publicly called out the unauthorised use of his voice on social media, describing the company's actions as "scummy" and "shady".

Why it happened

The increasing accessibility and sophistication of AI voice cloning technology means that, with just a 15-second sample, some AI models can now generate convincing voice clones in minutes. 

With thousands of hours of their voice available online, this technology presents a major risk to high-profile individuals like Brownlee, and to employers and others.

In this instance, Dot appears to have attemped to exploit the availability of AI voice cloning technology to capitalise on Brownlee's influence and credibility.