AI-generated voice mimicry infringes on rights

A Beijing court has issued a landmark ruling that imitating someone's voice through AI without their permission constitutes an infringement of their personal rights.

The verdict, announced Tuesday by the Beijing Internet Court, stems from a lawsuit filed last year by a voice-over artist surnamed Yin, who discovered her voice had been used in audiobooks circulating online without her consent. The voice was reportedly processed using artificial intelligence technology.

Yin sued five companies involved in the unauthorized use of her voice, including a cultural media enterprise that provided her recordings, an AI software developer, and a voice dubbing app operator. She sought compensation for the infringement.