As with all industries, eLearning is grappling with introducing futuristic technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). But while some have heralded the arrival of automated voice overs as the death knell of the human voice in eLearning, I believe there's still a vital role for the latter to play.
Let's take a quick look at why this is the case.
AI Voices Can't Convey Human Emotion
The first and most obvious reason is that, no matter how good AI gets, it will never be able to replicate the nuances and subtleties of the human voice. To truly engage learners, eLearning content needs to be delivered with emotion and passion. And that's something that AI just can't do.
While new AI technology allows a voiceover artist’s voice to be automated from a script, this still doesn’t allow for that human connection when wanting to engage with a target market. It’s good as a ‘rough idea’ of how the voice will sound, but it will never be as it would be if a voiceover artist read it for that specific project.
AI Voice Overs Sound Unnatural
To be clear, I don't mean this in a robotic vs. human sense. As alluded to above, AI programs can now use human voices that go well above and beyond the capabilities of your standard Text-to-Speech software.
What I'm referring to is the naturalness of the delivery. Odd pauses, placing emphasis on the wrong word in a sentence, and an overall feeling of forced delivery all tend to happen when you let AI loose on your content.
A human voiceover artist, on the other hand, will be able to deliver the content in a way that sounds natural and engaging. They'll be able to put the right amount of inflection and emotion into each sentence, making it sound as though they're actually having a conversation with the learner.
Thus it's important to remember that, while you can use AI to create a realistic-sounding voice, it's still not capable of delivering the content in a way that sounds natural.
Human Voices Create More Personal Connections
Another critical reason why the human voice is still essential in eLearning is that it helps to create a personal connection with the learner. When eLearning students hear a real person speaking to them, they're more likely to feel as though they're part of a conversation rather than just being talked at.
This is vital when engaging learners and getting them to really think about the content they're consuming. After all, if they feel like they're just being talked at, they're likely to tune out and not take anything away from the experience.
AI is Making Strides, But Still Has a Very Long Way to Go
While the arrival of AI has led some to believe that the human voice will soon become obsolete in eLearning, I believe there's still a very important role for it to play.
AI might be able to generate realistic-sounding voices and automate the process of creating voice overs. However, it's still not capable of delivering content in a way that sounds natural or creating the personal connections that are so important for engaging learners.
Yes, AI is still very much in its infancy. This technology is constantly evolving, and it's only going to get better. But for the moment, it's still not good enough to replace the human voice in eLearning. So, while AI might one day be able to replicate the human voiceover artist, for the moment, it's still best to stick with the real thing.
Book Your Human Voice for eLearning Content Today
If you're a fan of the real McCoy and appreciate the value a human voice will add to your eLearning content, then please feel free to contact me today. I'm an experienced voiceover artist with a real passion for eLearning, and I would love to help you bring your content to life.
To familiarise yourself with my voice and range of styles, you can view my portfolio of voiceover work here. I'm also available to answer any questions you may have or discuss your project in more detail via email at NickyGriffithsVO@Gmail.com.
I look forward to adding my human touch to your eLearning content and helping you to engage your learners in a more meaningful way :-)
Nicky Griffiths