
Melania Trump voiced her memoirs with ElevenLabs artificial intelligence
US First Lady Melania Trump presented an audio version of her memoirs, created entirely with the help of artificial intelligence. Technology from ElevenLabs reproduced her voice under personal control and guidance.
The statistical parameters of the project are impressive. The audiobook duration is 7 hours. The English version is available for $25, release in foreign languages is planned. The technological context reveals the duality of speech synthesis in the publishing industry. On one hand, artificial intelligence democratizes audio content creation, reducing production costs. On the other – it raises questions of authenticity and labor rights of professional narrators.
Melania Trump called this project the future of the entire publishing business. However, her previous statements about social media and artificial intelligence as digital drugs for the new generation of Americans diverge from her actions.
I think the precedent with such a high-ranking person could accelerate mass adoption of synthetic voices in the media industry. But it could also accelerate the blurring of boundaries between authentic and artificially created content.