Robots to read audiobooks as Apple turns to AI narrators

AUDIOBOOK listeners accustomed to the dulcet tones of Stephen Fry face a shock as Apple rolls out books narrated by robots.

Apple Books users can now listen to novels narrated by artificial intelligence-powered digital voices, in a move that may mark the end of the chapter for human voice actors.

Fake narrators have been created and optimised for specific genres, the tech giant claims, with the project focusing initially on romance and fiction before expanding into new areas.

The innovation comes amid booming demand for audiobooks. Sales grew 25pc to hit $1.6bn ($1.3bn) in 2021, according to the latest figures from the Audio Publishers Association.

Fry has become a star in the sector, after narrating the Harry Potter series, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Winnie the Pooh.

Apple said its new tool “makes the creation of audiobooks more accessible to all, helping you meet the growing demand by making more books available for listeners to enjoy”.

However, the rollout has sparked concerns that traditional narrators will be starved of work.

The Us-based National Association of Voice Actors has raised concerns that performers’ rights could be under threat from synthetic voice technology.

Tom Abba, director of the Digital Cultures Research Centre, warned: “At the moment what we’re seeing is a kind of replication of what humans can do, and that for me is the lowest-hanging fruit.”

Jon Watt, audio director at Bonnier Books, said: “As a publisher, we also have a responsibility to our authors to create faithful and high-quality audio editions of their works, and at present that means studio productions and human narrators.”

Apple approached independent publishers as potential partners in the rollout, requiring them to sign nondisclosure agreements, according to The Guardian, which first reported the move.