Introduction
Objectives
Ever since the first drawing was etched by hand onto a cave wall, ever since the first musical note was played, ever since the first written document was produced, people have felt the need to express their own artistic intelligence. The act of creation is inherent to human nature and involves the use of one’s own imagination and vision for the future – and, in particular, the human voice. The indiscriminate and unregulated use of artificial intelligence poses a risk that could lead to the extinction of the artistic heritage of creativity and wonder – an asset that machines cannot produce.
To protect and preserve this heritage, the Association of Professional Voice Artists of Switzerland (VPS ASP) has joined forces with the leading professional associations and trade unions from across the EU – France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Belgium and Poland – as well as the United Kingdom, the USA and Latin America, to form the organisation UVA – United Voice Artists.
UVA is committed to working closely with policymakers to establish regulations that reconcile the use of AI technologies with human creativity, as well as data protection regulations and the rights of artists. Political initiatives are therefore crucial to safeguarding the livelihoods of speakers, which depend on the fair treatment of their work and their contribution to preserving the authentic cultural identity of their communities.
We call on politicians and legislators to address the following:
to continuously monitor the inherent legal and ethical risks associated with the design, training and marketing of AI-generated content,
the need to adapt the protection of artists’ rights and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or Swiss data protection legislation (DSG and DSV) in light of the rapid development of AI technologies in Europe.
Our concerns
Protecting the work and creative output of actors and voice artists:
Any use of AI technology to generate and clone human voices must be subject to the express consent of the speakers and performers, who must be able to refuse the use of their works (both past and future) for purposes not expressly authorised by them. And they must have easy ways to ensure that this choice is upheld.
Protection of property rights and related rights:
At present, generative AI technology relies heavily on online sourcing to improve its learning capabilities, which regularly involves the illegal harvesting and use of copyright-protected data and content. The data collection process does not verify whether this data and content may be reused or not.
Protection of personal data:
The spokespersons draw the attention of data protection authorities to the fact that generative AI technologies are likely to use “sensitive” personal data (voices are considered biometric data under the GDPR; and under Article 27 et seq. of the Swiss Civil Code, the voice is classified as a personal asset and is subject to protection of personality rights) in contexts and for purposes that have not yet been precisely defined or made transparent.
Harmonising image rights, personality rights and publication rights across the EU:
Currently, there is a patchwork of national laws across the EU, which creates uncertainty for artists regarding the protection of their face, voice and likeness in commercial applications.
Liability for AI-generated content:
The AI Act must ensure that the primary responsibility and liability for any damages lies with the source of the generative AI systems, the providers of the base models, and any providers of downstream applications.
Ensuring transparency for generative AI:
Every cloned and/or synthetic voice must be clearly labelled and traceable via a specific and audible marker, so that users are aware of the origin of the speaking voice. This requirement is in line with the provision on the identifiability of content generated by AI systems in the draft EU AI Act, but it must be further improved.
The sustainability of cultural heritage:
Speakers are part of their communities’ cultural heritage. Their role in preserving collective identity must therefore be protected.
Enforcing a moratorium:
A moratorium must be introduced on the use of speech synthesis and cloning techniques involving generative AI until there is clear regulation that protects the rights of all professional voice artists and safeguards the continuity of their cultural role.
Establishing dialogue:
An open and constructive dialogue must be established between studios, voice artists and all other industry stakeholders to ensure that the rights of voice artists are respected. This includes the mandatory introduction of contractual terms to prevent the use of human voice samples by generative AI technologies for training purposes without the active consent of the performing artists/owners.
Measures:
The Association of Professional Voice Artists of Switzerland (VPS) has drawn up the following measures to achieve the set objectives at national level:
Publication of this manifesto in four languages (German, French, Italian and English) and making it available to members and the public on the VPS ASP website (www.vps-asp.ch).
Press releases in three national languages to raise public awareness of the situation facing our profession and our concerns.
Establishing contact with politicians and public figures who share our concerns (data protection, copyright) and can provide political support and drive these issues forward.
Seeking information and obtaining a binding commitment from all VPS ASP partners (studios, agencies, etc.) that they support the concerns set out in the manifesto.
Providing the button as a seal of quality for placement on individual members’ websites, in their email communications and on social media, and for direct linking to the manifesto.
Possibly entering into additional partnerships with associations and unions in the arts and culture sector to achieve the set goals.
Continuing our close collaboration with UVA – United Voice Artists to promote our interests at an international level.
Providing guidance, information, support and legal advice to members regarding AI.
General information:
The Association of Professional Voice Artists was founded in 1990 and now has around 250 members. Its aim is to safeguard the interests of its members. These include: further training, representation in dealings with other associations or organisations, maintaining good relations with partners such as studios, producers and advertising agencies, and providing legal advice.
Contact for enquiries:
Association of Professional Voice Artists
P.O. Box
8031 Zurich
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