Takeaways
- AI voice cloning allows for the creation of digital voice models to preserve a person’s voice for future generations.
- Including an AI voice model in an estate plan can provide personal messages, storytelling, and guidance in the individual’s own voice.
- Ethical and emotional considerations, such as consent, emotional readiness of loved ones, and technological longevity, must be addressed when incorporating AI voice into estate planning.
- Estate planning is expanding beyond tangible assets to include digital and emotional legacies, offering an enduring connection to the person who passed.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), a growing number of start-up companies are offering a unique and emotionally powerful service: creating AI-generated voice models that allow people to hear a deceased family member’s voice after they are gone.
These services, sometimes referred to as voice preservation, digital simulation, digital voice twin, or AI voice cloning, use samples of a person’s speech to create a lifelike, adaptable version of their voice. With appropriate permissions, family members can hear a departed loved one deliver personal messages, read favorite poems, tell family stories, or even answer questions in a simulated conversation.
A New Type of Digital Legacy
Estate planning has traditionally focused on tangible assets, such as property, heirlooms, and financial accounts, as well as related documents, such as wills and trusts. But in a world where connection and memory can hold more value than physical goods, many people are beginning to view intangible assets as equally, if not more, important.
Voice, especially, is deeply tied to memory and emotion. A familiar laugh or a phrase spoken with a particular rhythm or accent can evoke strong feelings that photos and videos sometimes cannot. By incorporating an AI voice model into estate plans, individuals are leaving behind not just a record of their existence, but a sensory, deeply personal experience of their presence.
How It Works
Voice preservation companies, such as Eternos, typically guide clients through simple set-up steps, including:
- Voice Capture. Individuals record a series of scripted speech samples so the AI technology can learn to replicate their voice.
- Modeling. The company uses artificial intelligence to train a voice model that can accurately replicate tone, inflection, and unique vocal characteristics.
- Adding Material. Individuals can record material they would like to pass on, such as stories, thoughts, opinions, advice, and even recipes.
- Customization. Users can pre-record messages or, in some cases, allow the AI voice to respond to simple prompts based on an approved database of memories or facts.
It is important to use a company that employs strict security measures to ensure the AI voice is used only with clear, documented consent.
Tying AI Voice Cloning into Estate Planning
Forward-thinking estate planners are beginning to recommend clients consider digital and emotional legacies alongside their financial ones. Some ways individuals are using AI voice technology in this context include:
- Personal Messages. Recording birthday wishes, advice, and words of love for children, grandchildren, or future generations.
- Storytelling. Sharing family histories, recipes, and traditions in the person’s own voice.
- Values and Guidance. Leaving messages about life lessons, hopes for descendants, or guidance on family matters.
- Farewell Messages. Offering comfort and closure to loved ones after passing.
Including voice models in an estate plan can also ensure that rights to the AI version of one’s voice are clearly designated, protecting against misuse and ensuring access for intended family members only.
Interestingly, celebrities have been among those exploring the realm of AI voice cloning. The late James Earl Jones, before his death in 2022, signed over to Lucasfilm the rights to use his voice for Darth Vader.
Important Considerations
Though the idea of a voice that lives on may be exciting, it also raises important ethical and emotional questions:
- Consent. People must carefully document their wishes regarding how their voice model can be used.
- Emotional Readiness. Loved ones should be given the choice of whether they want to interact with the AI voice. For some, it may bring comfort; for others, it might be painful.
- Technological Longevity. Digital storage solutions must be well planned to ensure voice models are preserved securely over time.
As with any part of estate planning, it’s important to discuss these elements with an attorney and ensure they are legally and ethically incorporated into a formal estate plan.
Preserving the Spirit, Not Just the Estate
The rise of AI voice technology offers a profound opportunity to give loved ones not just memories, but an enduring connection to the spirit of the person they lost. In blending technology with tradition, individuals can now leave behind something more meaningful than material goods, the sound of their voice, laughter, and wisdom.
Contact an estate planning attorney in your area to learn how you can leave a meaningful legacy for your living and future family. This can include helping you to execute key estate planning documents, such as a durable financial power of attorney, a revocable living trust, or an advance health care advance directive.
For additional reading about the overlap of technology and estate planning, check out the following articles:
