13134: One Category Of VO Has Been "Under Attack" By AI For Decades. And It's Doing Just Fine.

Hey there, hero!<br/><br/>It was October of 1989 when America Online's existence was first promoted in the MacWorld and MacUser magazines that hit the stands (and my mailbox in Washington DC). I went on my morning show on Q107, and told listeners they could send me messages on the service, addressed to screen name David107.<br/><br/>That shoutout on the air did two things: first, it caused Jean Villanueva to nearly spit out her coffee as she traveled along the Dulles Toll Road in Virginia - she was on her way to her job as AOL's chief communications officer. Second, it prompted her to call me when I got off the air that morning and ask if I wanted to record the phone messages people would hear when they first called AOL's tech support lines.<br/><br/>Thus began my first job doing IVR, and one of the longest client relationships (over 28 years) I've ever enjoyed: over 38,000 prompts (individual messages) recorded over the years.<br/><br/>IVR became a huge thing for me, and despite a ton of work in that space, I began almost immediately to notice competition - from computer generated voices. Nothing like the human voice, nothing synthetically realistic, but like AM radio, quality wasn't necessary. It was the information being delivered to the caller that mattered, no matter how mechanical it sounded.<br/><br/>So the massive developments in synthetic voices today seem oddly familiar, and it leads me to my warning in this episode of the podcast about the risk to our future as voice talent.<br/><br/>The warning might no be what you expect - and might make you smile just a bit.<br/><br/>Once you've listened, would you share with me if you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments below.<br/><br/>REQUEST: Please join this video's conversation on VOHeroes, where the comments are moderated and civil.<br/><br/>Link to full podcast episode: https://voheroes.com/one-category-of-vo-has-been-under-attack-by-ai-for-decades-and-its-doing-just-fine/<br/><br/>#Acting #Voice #VoiceOver #Performance #Productivity #Tips #Art #Commerce #Science #Mindset #Success #Process #Options #BestPractices #MarketingThe VOHeroes Podcast is heroically built with:<br/><br/> BuddyBoss (site platform and theme) LearnDash (learning management) DreamHost (website hosting) Screenflow (video recording/editing/production) eCamm Live (Facebook/YouTube Live production tool) Amelia (workout and event scheduling) MemberMouse (membership management) SamCart (ecommerce and affiliate platform) Aweber (email list management) GamiPress (gamification platform) Stackable Premium Blocks (advanced Gutenberg blocks) TextExpander (customer support content management) BuzzSprout (podcast management platform) <br/> <br/>