OpenAI Develops Voice Cloning Tech but Keeps Private Over Impersonation Worries

• OpenAI unveils new Voice Engine that can clone a person's voice with just 15 seconds of audio, but won't release publicly yet due to safety concerns • Technology could be misused, especially in an election year with recent AI-fueled robocall impersonations • Other companies already sell similar voice-cloning tech, some publicly accessible • Early Voice Engine testers must agree not to impersonate without consent and disclose synthetic voices • Trademark application shows OpenAI likely aims to compete in voice assistants against Amazon Alexa etc.