AI allegedly stole their voices, leading to legal action.
Leo Lehrman, together with voice actress Linnea Sage, is filing a lawsuit against AI firm Lovo over charges that the company duped them into creating voice projects to later create and distribute AI-generated versions of their voices. Based in Berkeley, California, Lovo provides AI-powered voice technology that aims to cater to marketing, education, and product demo applications.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the Southern District Court of New York, seeks class action status to include other people whose voices and identities were appropriated. The New York Times first reported the matter.
This recent lawsuit is part of a series of legal battles where creatives, writers, and artists claim their content was used without permission to train AI systems that could potentially rival them. These cases have led to widespread concerns regarding copyright and intellectual property violations surrounding AI models and the data required for their training.
"Implicit in LOVO's offerings to its customers is that each voice-over actor has agreed to LOVO's terms and conditions for customers to access that actor's voice," the complaint specifies. However, for individuals like Lehrman, Sage, and others who haven't agreed to LOVO's terms, the unauthorized use of their voices amounts to theft of service and misappropriation.
LOVO hasn't responded to a request for comment on the lawsuit.
Lehrman tells of a Fiverr request in May 2020 from "User25199087" demanding voice-over services for narrative work. This user informed Lehrman that the samples would only be used for "academic research purposes" and specifically that "the scripts would not be used for anything else," assuring payment of $1,200.
Two years later, Lehrman claims to have found his voice on a YouTube video, even though he had no involvement in its creation. In June 2023, he also heard his voice on a podcast featuring discussions about AI dangers.
Sage had a similar experience. In 2019, she received a Fiverr request for "test scripts for radio ads" and was told that these wouldn't be disclosed externally. She was paid $400 for the job. Later, Sage recognized her voice in a Lovo investor presentation showcasing their technology.
Lehrman and Sage claim that the people who contacted them on Fiverr were in fact Lovo employees who wrongfully informed them of their voice use.
"To clarify, the product customers buy from LOVO is stolen property. LOVO has stolen voices and markets them illegally under false pretenses," the complaint outlines.
The actors intend to seek damages exceeding $5 million plus a court ruling preventing Lovo from exploiting their voices. [Retains all existing formatting.]
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The tech industry is facing a legal challenge as Leo Lehrman and Linnea Sage accuse AI firm Lovo of using their voices without permission, claiming it as a form of tech-related business theft. The lawsuit filed against Lovo highlights the concerns surrounding copyright and intellectual property rights in AI models and the data required for their training.
Source: edition.cnn.com
