'People love people'

Artificial intelligence is changing the creative industries, with regional NSW artists and performers questioning what the technology means for their livelihoods, intellectual property and the future of human creativity. From digital illustrations and photography to voiceovers and storytelling, generative artificial intelligence is creating new opportunities while raising concerns about consent, copyright and the value of original creative work. For local voiceover artist, actress and presenter Sumara Meers who is based in Woodstock, the impact of AI is already being felt across the voiceover industry, particularly in educational and corporate work. Ms Meers said AI voice cloning had affected the availability of paid work, with some businesses choosing artificial voices for projects that previously required human performers. "I've noticed it most in eLearning work, narration for training programs and educational material where there's less emphasis on performance compared to just delivering information," she said. "A significant amount of low-budget work has disappeared as some instructional designers opt to use an AI voice." However, she said the changes were extending beyond voice artists, with AI increasingly being used to produce entire training programs and reducing the need for human instructional designers. Ms Meers said one instructional designer she previously worked with regularly was now changing careers because of a lack of work in her specialist field. The changes highlight how AI is affecting not only individual creatives but also the broader network of professionals involved in producing creative and educational content. One of the growing concerns surrounding AI is the ability to replicate human voices, potentially allowing someone's voice to be reproduced without their knowledge or permission. For professional voice artists, their voice is more than a tool, it is their intellectual property and a significant part of their professional identity. Ms Meers said she believed creatives should be compensated when their work is used to train large language models and voice-cloning software. "Yes, I do believe creatives should be compensated when their work is used to train large learning models and voice cloning software, and in the work they create," she said. "The people coding them are sure being compensated!" Ms Meers said while she was not an expert in copyright or corporate law, she believed the human element remained central to creative communication. "The human element in storytelling is EVERYTHING," she said. "People love people. "It is fundamental to human life to connect with one another, and interpersonal connection is what keeps us going." She believes technology cannot replicate the experience of genuine human connection, particularly when it comes to storytelling and communication. Despite the challenges, Ms Meers is optimistic about what AI could mean for the future of creative industries. She believes the increasing use of artificial content could encourage audiences to seek out more authentic, physical and personal creative experiences. "For years now, since AI became such a big topic of conversation amongst creatives, I have always said: people love people," she said. "I personally think people will use the influx of AI shenanigans to start moving back towards more natural, human, messy, analogue, physical and connected art and communication." Rather than focusing on the negative aspects of technological change, Ms Meers said she preferred to concentrate on the positive alternatives and opportunities emerging for creatives. She is also excited about the potential for artists to use AI tools in areas outside their specialist skills. For example, she said large language models could assist artists with marketing and website development, tasks that might otherwise require hiring expensive professionals. These tools could be particularly useful for emerging artists establishing their own creative businesses, helping them navigate the challenges of marketing and running a business on a limited budget. However, she believes the technology should complement rather than replace human creativity. "I'm excited, actually, about seeing what fabulous creative things people come up with in response to the tech-ification of everything," she said. The debate surrounding AI extends beyond the voiceover industry, with visual artists, photographers, illustrators and designers also questioning how their work is being used to train generative AI systems. Concerns include the unauthorised use of existing artworks, imitation of distinctive artistic styles and competition from AI-generated content. The National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) has been advocating for stronger protections for artists, including greater transparency around AI training data, consent and fair compensation. The NSW Government has also identified protections for creative workers as an important consideration in the development of national AI policy. For regional communities, the discussion is particularly relevant, with local artists contributing to galleries, exhibitions, public art, tourism, festivals and small-business promotion. As AI becomes more accessible, the challenge will be ensuring technological advancement does not come at the expense of the people whose skills, experience and creativity help sustain the arts sector. For Ms Meers, the future of creative work ultimately comes back to something technology cannot replace. "We need the human element in our creative output and consumption," she said. And despite the uncertainty surrounding AI, she believes there will always be an audience for creativity that comes from real people.