What happened

ScotRail unveiled a new AI-driven train announcer, nicknamed "Iona," which uses a synthetic Scottish voice developed by Swedish company ReadSpeaker. 

Gayanne Potter, a professional voiceover artist whose work includes major brands, alleges that this AI voice is based on her own recordings, which she made for ReadSpeaker in 2021 under the impression they would be used for accessibility tools and e-learning. 

She claims she was not informed that her voice would be used to create an AI announcer for public transport, nor did she give consent for this commercial use.

The incident caused Potter emotional distress. She said she feels "violated," "devastated," and "demeaned," and fears for her professional reputation and future work opportunities. 

She argues that the AI-generated voice, which she believes is a low-quality clone, could harm her career by competing with her own professional voiceover work. 

The case also raises broader concerns about data protection and the rights of creative workers, particularly as AI technology evolves and historical contracts may not explicitly cover new uses of personal data.

Why it happened

Potter’s voice was used by ReadSpeaker to train an AI model, based on a contract she signed for recordings intended for accessibility and e-learning purposes. 

She and her agent claim they were reassured that the recordings would not be sold to third parties, but ReadSpeaker maintains that their contract allows for the use of synthesised voices for businesses and organisations.