Amazon previews Alexa capability that synthesizes a person’s voice from less than a minute of audio – GeekWire

LAS VEGAS — A small video of a boy or girl inquiring Alexa to have his grandma go through the Wizard of Oz is creating a lot more than its share of excitement following Amazon discussed that the voice was basically a simulation.

To make it take place, Amazon “had to find out to deliver a significant-good quality voice with a lot less than a moment of recording vs . hrs of recording in a studio,” claimed Rohit Prasad, Alexa AI senior vice president and head scientist, during a keynote tackle Wednesday early morning at the company’s re:MARS convention in Las Vegas.

Amazon isn’t declaring when the capability could be introduced as an Alexa attribute, or what varieties of safety measures could possibly accompany a rollout. AI-created synthesized voices have elevated worries about the probable for abuse, probably staying misused to trick men and women into imagining other people experienced reported some thing they hadn’t.

A established of “Responsible AI” ideas unveiled this week by Microsoft outlines a collection of safeguards in opposition to opportunity misuse of artificial voices.

Prasad hinted at the underlying technical technique made use of by Amazon for the functionality, declaring that the crucial was “framing the issue as a voice-conversion activity, and not a speech-era process.”

Introducing the demo, he explained the technological innovation as a way to protect the memories of beloved ones, indicating it is aspect of a developing recognition of the role that Alexa can serve as a companion.

“In this companionship part, human characteristics of empathy and have an affect on are critical for setting up trust,” he reported. “These attributes have turn out to be even a lot more vital in these occasions of the ongoing pandemic, when so quite a few of us have misplaced anyone we love. What AI just cannot reduce that agony of loss, it can undoubtedly make their recollections final.”

Prasad termed it “one of the new abilities we’re working on, which permits long lasting personalized relationships.”