“I have no idea how it is being used. I’m sure you can begin to imagine how that makes me feel”
06:00, 30 May 2026
Faye Dicker, a voice-over artist from Bristol(Image: Faye Dicker)
A Bristol woman who was the voice of GWR trains has told Bristol Live of her devastation after discovering that her voice had been cloned using AI and was for sale on a California-based generative artificial intelligence site.
Faye Dicker, who has worked for years as a presenter, public speaker and voiceover artist, recording for everything from radio and TV ads to the announcements on GWR trains, said she was ‘left absolutely devastated, furious and feeling sick’, after discovering her voice had been cloned.
US-based AI firm Fish Audio had two listings for her voice, meaning that anyone could programme her voice to say anything they wanted, and record it for their own purposes, for a fee to the firm.
She and a number of other voiceover artists from the UK complained to Fish Audio, and Faye’s voice was taken off the site, but not before it was downloaded more than a thousand times.
Fish Audio even advertised her voice for sale using her name, as someone who had provided the voice for GWR trains.
Her voice was categorised alongside other voiceover artists who had provided the voiceover for transport companies, as well as computer games related to transport – as well as previously being the voice of GWR train announcements, Faye had also provided the voice for transport announcements in the Roblox virtual universe computer game.
“The fact it’s got my name is even worse, and it’s been used now a thousand times,” she told Bristol Live. “When you look at the website, you’re allowed to use it for TikTok, YouTube, audiobooks, animation – anything, and you can programme it to say whatever you like.
“I have no idea who has done that, where it is being used, or how it is being used. I’m sure you can begin to imagine how that makes me feel, as a mother, as a human being. I have no idea where it is being used.
“I am absolutely devastated, furious, I want to be sick – all of those things at the same time,” she added.
Faye said she was particularly furious because voiceover work is ‘drying up’ as firms switch to using AI voices – and now she has discovered that one of the biggest AI voice firms has cloned her voice and is selling it without her permission and against her will.
Faye Dicker, a voice-over artist from Bristol(Image: Faye Dicker)
Faye and other voice artists are being supported by the performers’ union Equity, which last year launched a campaign calling for the Government to tighten the rules on the use of real people’s work in the world of AI.
“Tech companies have been helping themselves to the intellectual property and personal data of the creative workforce over the last few years – without the proper consent, transparency and payment,” a spokesperson for Equity said.
“Current enforcement of the copyright and intellectual property law, as well as GDPR regulations, is completely lacking. Equity is calling on the government to introduce a new system of automatic rights over your voice, face and body for all.
“These ‘personality rights’ would allow everyone to have control over their identity in the age of AI. They would provide a new layer of protection for performers against exploitation by AI models without your consent. They would prevent malicious use of digital replicas to undermine our democratic processes. They would enhance online safety and by stopping AI tools being used for online abuse,” the union spokesperson added.
“Similar rights exist in Germany, Japan and the United States. Denmark is currently consulting on introducing them too. It is time that the UK government defended the people against big tech,” she added.
Bristol Live has contacted Fish Audio for an explanation, and a response is yet to be received.