Meta’s AI chatbot to get voices of Awkwafina, Judi Dench, other celebrities, source says

Meta’s new feature comes after rival OpenAI introduced a ChatGPT voice that sounded like actress Scarlett Johansson, without her consent

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Asian-American actress Awkwafina at the Emmy Awards on September 8. Photo: AP

Published: 12:00pm, 24 Sep 2024

Facebook owner Meta Platforms is planning to announce this week that it has secured deals with actors including Judi Dench, Kristen Bell and John Cena to give voice to its Meta AI chatbot, a source familiar with the company’s plans told Reuters on Monday.

The new audio feature will offer users the option to select a voice for Meta’s ChatGPT-like digital assistant from a list of five celebrities, who also include Awkwafina and Keegan-Michael Key, as well as several generic voice options, the person told Reuters.

The social media giant is set to announce the audio capabilities at its annual Connect conference, which starts on Wednesday, the person said.

Meta is also expected to unveil a first version of its augmented-reality glasses at Connect this year and to discuss its road map for other hardware devices like its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, which last year became its first product to include an audio version of the Meta AI chatbot.

Oscar-winning British actress Judi Dench, who stars as “M” in the James Bond franchise. Photo: Reuters

The celebrity voices will start launching in the US and other English-speaking markets this week across Meta’s family of apps, which include Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, the source told Reuters.