Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced a speech-generation AI model called Voicebox on June 16.
The company said Voicebox could generate speech from text and noted that the model could match an audio style based on a sample just two seconds long.
Voicebox can also convert a text sample to another language and, given a separate speech sample, read the translated text in the speaker’s original voice. This capability supports six languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Polish, and Portuguese.
The AI model can additionally edit existing recordings to remove background noise. More generally, it can create speech that is modeled on diverse speech samples.
Voicebox could be leveraged by various users
Meta said that Voicebox and other similar AI models could allow virtual assistants and non-player characters in its metaverse to have realistic voices. The tool could also be of use to content creators and to users with accessibility needs, it said.
Meta said that Voicebox is currently a research project. It did not say when the feature might be publicly available, but it shared a demo video.
Meta announced several consumer AI tools earlier in June, revealed details about its AI chips in May, and discussed internal AI applications in an April investor call.
Before transitioning to crypto writing in 2018, Mike studied library and information sciences. Currently, he resides on Canada's West Coast.
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Disclaimer: Our writers' opinions are solely their own and do not reflect the opinion of CryptoSlate. None of the information you read on CryptoSlate should be taken as investment advice, nor does CryptoSlate endorse any project that may be mentioned or linked to in this article. Buying and trading cryptocurrencies should be considered a high-risk activity. Please do your own due diligence before taking any action related to content within this article. Finally, CryptoSlate takes no responsibility should you lose money trading cryptocurrencies.
A recent Twitter exchange between two prominent figures in the world of finance and technology, entrepreneur Mark Cuban and former SEC official John Reed Stark, has drawn attention as an example of positive, civil discourse around complex and contentious issues.
The billionaire and the former enforcement official engaged in a spirited debate over the intricacies of securities law as they pertain to cryptocurrency. The conversation transpired in view of the public, with both parties passionately yet respectfully presenting their viewpoints.
John Reed Stark, now a private consultant, was the founder and former head of the SEC’s Office of Internet Enforcement. Mark Cuban is a billionaire entrepreneur known for his investments in various tech companies and as a high-profile media personality. He has been an outspoken advocate for cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.
Spirited conversation
The debate centered around the notion of regulatory clarity in the realm of cryptocurrency, a hotly contested issue in the financial world.
Among Stark’s key arguments is against the notion of inadequate “regulatory clarity” in the cryptocurrency industry, arguing instead that securities regulation is intentionally broad and all-encompassing, with precision often deliberately avoided to allow for the regulation of a wide array of financial instruments. He also suggested that the crypto industry often cries foul and challenges the enactment of any specific regulatory crypto-related rules when they are introduced, despite their calls for regulatory clarity.
Cuban, however, countered these points from a practical standpoint, taking issue with the contention that all crypto projects can be lumped together under the umbrella of “enterprises.” “Not all crypto businesses that have tokens or are considering using tokens are large ‘enterprises,’” he wrote, continuing:
The vast majority of crypto applications are small. Maybe 3 people. I had someone from one of those small companies call the SEC and ask for guidance on getting registered. The response from the SEC was “here are some cases to review, get a lawyer to help you.”
That is the fundamental problem.”
Cuban likened this to cities enforcing licensing laws on a lemonade stand, arguing that it was fundamentally problematic to place “enterprise”-level burdens on extremely small startup projects.
He also raised concerns about the political implications of the personal goals of SEC executives and their influence over enforcement decisions.
The two figures continued the debate for over 24 hours and covered such topics as pink sheet stocks, FIDC insurance loopholes, celebrity culpability, and more. The entire discussion can be found here.
“Acres of common ground”
In spite of many disagreements and very different backgrounds, Cuban and Stark’s conversation avoided the common pitfalls of online debate. In his reflection after the fact, Stark commented that while they “often vehemently disagreed,” they nevertheless “discovered acres of common ground.”
In a social media landscape often characterized by hyperbole and dismissiveness, Stark and Cuban maintained a respectful, even amicable tone throughout their exchange and concluded by emphasizing points of agreement. Stark likened the exchange to “an old fashioned Town Hall meeting, except with millions of attendees and lots of participation.”
Jacob Oliver is a recovering academic and English teacher who went down the crypto rabbit hole in 2017 after recognizing the technology's potential.
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Disclaimer: Our writers' opinions are solely their own and do not reflect the opinion of CryptoSlate. None of the information you read on CryptoSlate should be taken as investment advice, nor does CryptoSlate endorse any project that may be mentioned or linked to in this article. Buying and trading cryptocurrencies should be considered a high-risk activity. Please do your own due diligence before taking any action related to content within this article. Finally, CryptoSlate takes no responsibility should you lose money trading cryptocurrencies.
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