A federal judge in New York has permitted a lawsuit filed by two voice-over artists to progress, amid allegations that their voices were misappropriated by an artificial intelligence voice startup. The artists, Paul Skye Lehrman and Linnea Sage, claimed that the use of their voices constituted a violation of their rights.
While the judge dismissed the artists’ claims of federal copyright infringement, allegations concerning breach of contract and deceptive business practices remain valid. Additionally, separate copyright claims regarding the improper utilization of their voices in the training data for the AI will continue to advance. The California-based company, Lovo Inc., sought to have the entire case dismissed but has yet to respond to requests for comments.
Legal implications of AI in the creative sector
This ruling is part of a broader trend, with numerous artists filing lawsuits against AI companies for alleged misuse of their work in developing AI models. Steve Cohen, the attorney representing the artists, described the decision as a “spectacular” victory, expressing confidence that a future jury would “hold big tech accountable.”
In contrast, the legal team for Lovo characterized the artists’ claims as a “kitchen sink approach,” arguing that the allegations lack sufficient grounds for a legitimate case against the company.
Background of the lawsuit
Lehrman and Sage, a couple residing in New York City, initiated a proposed class action lawsuit in 2024 after discovering that versions of their voices were being sold through Lovo’s text-to-speech platform, Genny. They reported that they were approached separately by unidentified employees of Lovo for voice-over assignments via the freelance platform Fiverr. Lehrman received $1,200, while Sage was paid $800 for their work.
Correspondence shared with the media revealed that the anonymous clients assured the artists that their voices would be utilized solely for “academic research purposes only” and as “test scripts for radio ads.” The messages indicated that the voice recordings would remain “internal” and would not be disclosed externally.
A pivotal moment occurred when the couple was driving in New York City and tuned into a podcast discussing the impact of AI on the entertainment industry. To their astonishment, they heard an AI-powered chatbot, utilizing text-to-speech technology, mimic Lehrman’s voice during the discussion concerning job security in Hollywood.
“We needed to pull the car over,” Mr. Lehrman recounted in a previous interview. “The irony that AI is coming for the entertainment industry, and here is my voice talking about the potential destruction of the industry, was really quite shocking.”
Upon returning home, they discovered that voices under the names Kyle Snow and Sally Coleman were available for use by subscribers of the Lovo platform. Furthermore, they later found Sage’s voice featured in a fundraising video for the service, while Lehrman’s voice was used in an advertisement on the company’s YouTube channel. Although Lovo ultimately removed the voices, they cited low popularity as the reason.
The case is now set to proceed in the US District Court in Manhattan, potentially setting important legal precedents regarding the rights of artists in the age of artificial intelligence.