28 August 2026
Actors demand UK law protecting voices from AI cloning without consent
First reported
BBC News and The Guardian ran this on , all on the same day.
- Over 80 performers including Matt Lucas, Hugh Bonneville and Nicola Coughlan signed an open letter to UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham requesting legislation giving people legal ownership of their own voices.
- AI can replicate a recognizable voice in seconds using just a few audio samples, then use that clone to say anything without the person's permission or knowledge.
- Save Our Voices Now, the campaign behind the letter, reports 28% of UK adults have been targeted by voice-cloning scams, and says criminals use the technology to impersonate people and threaten others.
- Denmark has already passed law reforms giving citizens legal ownership over their voice, face and body, allowing them to demand removal of unauthorized AI copies and seek compensation.
- The UK government said it will launch a consultation on addressing harms from voice cloning while protecting legitimate innovation, but performers argue protections are moving too slowly compared to AI capabilities.
Reported by The Guardian, BBC News