Coughlan, Lucas Join Campaign to Stop AI Voice Cloning

A coalition of roughly 80 individuals, including actors Nicola Coughlan, Hugh Bonneville and Matt Lucas, has submitted an open letter to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham urging the introduction of legislation that would safeguard the ownership of a person’s voice. The signatories, among them Luke Evans, Jen Brister, Siobhán McSweeney and Pearl Mackie, are backing the campaign “Save Our Voices Now,” which seeks to curb the use of artificial‑intelligence technology that can replicate a real voice and generate speech on demand.

The campaign argues that current intellectual‑property law does not adequately protect vocal identity, leaving performers and other speakers vulnerable to unauthorized exploitation and potential misinformation. By calling on the mayor to champion new legal measures, the group aims to establish clear rights over vocal recordings and to prohibit the creation of synthetic speech without explicit consent. If successful, the proposed safeguards could set a precedent for broader national regulation of AI‑driven voice cloning, addressing concerns about privacy, consent and the integrity of public discourse.