David Attenborough, 98, is ‘profoundly disturbed’ by unauthorised AI clone of voice

Sir David Attenborough is ‘profoundly disturbed’ by unauthorised AI clones of his voice.

The legendary 98-year-old broadcaster and naturalist’s voice is instantly recognisable by audiences thanks to decades of narrating documentaries such as Planet Earth, Blue Planet and his new programme Asia.

However, an artificial intelligence (AI) replica of his voice has been popping in recent weeks up on platforms like YouTube, where it is being used to deliver partisan news reports.

Addressing the news, Attenborough told BBC News that the AI clone amounts to identity theft.

‘Having spent a lifetime trying to speak what I believe to be the truth, I am profoundly disturbed to find these days my identity is being stolen by others and greatly object to them using it to say whatever they wish,’ he said in a statement.

Sir David Attenborough was ‘disturbed’ by the news (Picture: Shutterstock)

The controversy came to light after BBC News aired a voiceover from Asia, in which Sir David says: ‘If you think you’ve seen the best the natural world has to offer, think again. There is nowhere else on Earth with so many untold stories. Welcome then, to Asia.’

The veteran broadcaster then played the same clip, before asking viewers if they noticed any differences between the two.

Although they were almost identical, the second video was actually narrated by an AI-generated voice, which led to Sir David’s reaction after the BBC made him aware of the issue.

The 98-year-old broadcaster’s voiced has been imitated (Picture: Victoria Jones/PA Wire)

Despite the backlash, the creator behind the cloned voice sought to clarify its stance in a clip narrated by the AI version of Attenborough.

‘Let’s set the record straight. Unless Mr Attenborough has been moonlighting for us in secret, and under an assumed name with work authorisation in the United States, he is not on our payroll,’ they said.

‘I am not David Attenborough. We are both male British voices for sure, but I am not David Attenborough for anyone out there who might be confused.’

Scarlett Johansson has had her own issues with AI (Picture: Mike Marsland/WireImage)

The nature documentarian is not the first public figure to denounce AI.

Earlier this year, Scarlett Johansson objected to OpenAI using her voice despite her rejecting their offer, and they subsequently pulled the voice shortly after its launch.

And her Fly Me To The Moon co-star Channing Tatum later said: ‘So many people are going to lose their jobs just to an AI that can do so much.’

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