Apple has quietly launched a catalog of books narrated by an AI robot using artificial intelligence and voice synthesis technologies it developed.
Leyland Cecco for The Guardian:
The popularity of the audiobook market has exploded in recent years, with technology companies scrambling to gain a foothold. Sales last year jumped 25%, bringing in more than $1.5bn. Industry insiders believe the global market could be worth more than $35bn by 2030.
On the company’s Books app, searching for “AI narration” reveals the catalogue of works included in the scheme, which are described as being “narrated by digital voice based on a human narrator”.
Apple’s development of AI to narrate books could represent a significant shift in how major technology companies see the future of audiobooks.
Publishers, authors and literary agents who spoke to the Guardian said the strategy, if successful, could have significant implications for the market.
MacDailyNews Take: At first listen, it doesn’t sound awful. A preview can be heard via Apple Books here.
TGIF! Interns, please get to it, TTK™! Prost, everyone! 🍻🍻🍻
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Well if Apple can’t get Siri results any better for whatever reason, I hope they can at least improve the voices to get to this level. Unless I want my directions dictated by Christopher Walken, I don’t know why I need to be turning right at the stopSIGN.
Applecynic has been a very poorly programmed AI robot from the start. His creator? Steve Balls-itup-mer.
Apple, at the intersection of Transhumanism and Satanism.
Satan convinced Eve to take a bite of the forbidden fruit, symbols rule the world 🍎🤟😈
Kent, you are mistaken – your description fits applecynic perfectly though.
Obviously, my comment was “right over the target”.
why you being so hard on Satan
Because I’ve met him. Applecynic is his name. And he’s eeeeeevil.
Not the best robot voice I’ve ever heard
Danger, AppleFANBoi, Danger
Apple is considering offering novelty A.I. voices, for example of the book buyer, which would appeal to egotists and narcissists, or even offer voices of popular MAGAists and Insurrectionists for those who have an unfulfilled desire to be untinkingly led by the nose.
I know voices… I know the BEST voices. I have employed the best voices, I have fired them. I know fraudulent voices. There’s a lot of fake voices out there. You know who you are. Tremendous frauds, those voices.