Unions Representing Hollywood Writers and Actors Seek Limits on A.I. and Chatbots

In December, Apple introduced a service allowing book publishers to use human-sounding A.I. narrators, an innovation that could displace hundreds of voice actors who make a living performing audiobooks. The company's website says the service will benefit independent authors and small publishers. "I know someone always has to get there first, some company," said Chris Ciulla, who estimates that he has made $100,000 to $130,000 annually over the past five years narrating books under union contracts. "But for individuals not to understand how that can affect the pail-carrying narrator out there eventually is disappointing." Other actors fear that studios will use A.I. to replicate their voices while cutting them out of the process.