Frequently Asked Questions

The AI Elephant in the Room

Why use traditional, human voiceovers as opposed to new AI voiceovers?

At a root level, how do you want to connect to your clients? Do you prefer the human touch filled with purpose, emotion, and the imperfection of a genuine, warm interaction? Or a synthesized, emotionless sound representation of your script?

This might sound a bit stark at first, but when you dig into how AI voices are generated, it becomes clearer. It’s like holding a real-life kitten or puppy versus a rock sculpture of your pet. That’s the difference: AI voices are models trained from human speech. If you’re trying to connect with clients on a deeper level and build trust, which would you rather deliver?

Can people really tell the difference between AI voiceovers and genuine human voiceovers?

Yes — in many cases people can notice differences, though it’s not always obvious. When a voiceover is short and purely informational—without emotion or storytelling—it may be harder to tell whether it’s human- or AI-generated.

But when you’re telling a story, building trust, or conveying brand personality, it’s vital to work with a voice actor who draws on real experience and wisdom to interpret your script. If it comes from the heart, deliver it from the heart.

How do AI voices work and/or how are AI voiceovers generated?

Modern AI voice systems are trained on large datasets of human speech. They model the waveform, tone, rhythm and pronunciation of that speech and then generate new audio from text input. While the result can sound very good, what’s happening behind the scenes is still fundamentally synthetic.

The core mechanism remains: using human voice data to create speech models, then outputting something that mimics human phrasing and cadence.

What is the psychological effect of hearing AI voiceovers?

This is a relatively new area of study. Short informational voiceovers may not show obvious effects yet, but initial research indicates that human voices trigger stronger responses in brain areas tied to memory and empathy, compared to AI voices (EurekAlert study).

The long-term effects of widespread AI voice use, especially in brand communication and storytelling, will take years or even decades to fully understand.

What does the future hold for AI voiceovers?

We’ve seen a dramatic leap in AI voice-over quality over the last few years. AI voices are now better at emphasis and can include human-like features such as breaths, natural pauses or stuttering. Some can sound impressively realistic—maybe even slightly “over-perfect.”

But this is just the beginning. As the technology evolves, the gap between human and synthetic voice narrows—but humans will still bring authenticity, nuance and subtlety.

When is AI voiceover appropriate over human voiceovers?

AI voiceover fits well for scratch tracks, short informational sentences, or projects with limited budgets that prioritize cost and speed over emotional connection. It also works for long scripts that change frequently or have minimal quality or editing oversight.

Often, an AI voiceover can serve as a first draft for a voice actor to follow. However, remember: your final script may contain small errors or slight mispronunciations—and these human touches are part of what makes us connect, intuitively and emotionally.