Apple has jumped into the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with its Books application. The latter part of 2022 saw a surge in AI discussions, particularly surrounding ChatGPT.

ChatGPT, created by OpenAI, is a sophisticated language model that processes input and generates coherent text. As a product of the Generative Pretrained Transformer 3.5, it stands as one of the most advanced AI language models available, capable of producing impressive results.

This technology can generate human-like responses, making it applicable across various domains, including chatbots, question-and-answer systems, and even tailored content for social media platforms. YouTube creator MKBHD has explored its applications in content creation, highlighting AI Art, Lens, and ChatGPT.

Whether we embrace it or not, this marks the beginning of a new era for AI, and we are on the brink of discovering its capabilities.

The human element in professions has diminished over the years, with roles once exclusively filled by people now often performed by AI. Personally, as an audio engineer, I've experienced this shift firsthand. Sorting through audio for podcasts used to take hours, justifying my fees. However, the introduction of Descript has streamlined my workflow. This tool allows me to upload audio, and within minutes, it provides a polished, lossless WAV file that adheres to loudness standards—often surpassing my own capabilities.

Moreover, Descript offers features that help create flawless scripts and can even learn my voice, enabling me to correct mistakes seamlessly. The digital version of my voice will remain ageless.

The emergence of platforms like Fiverr has posed significant challenges for smaller creators and graphic designers, who find it difficult to compete with their pricing structures. AI has permeated many aspects of my daily life—tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Audition now incorporate AI enhancements, making tasks that once took hours achievable in mere moments.

Voice-over artists, traditionally considered secure in their roles, are also feeling the impact of AI advancements. I know someone who has invested significantly in voice-over training to narrate books, making the recent developments in AI particularly poignant for her. While I've occasionally lent my voice to trailers and advertisements, she aspired to build a full-time career with her first book published late last year, now facing uncertain prospects.

In a groundbreaking move likely to disrupt the audiobook sector, Apple has introduced AI-narrated audiobooks through its Books service. This shift towards AI technology could have substantial effects on the multi-billion dollar publishing industry. Apple refers to this innovation as "digital narration," asserting that it simplifies audiobook production, lowering costs and making it more accessible for authors and publishers.

This change represents a significant transformation for the industry. Previously, authors typically narrated their own works, a process that could span weeks and cost thousands. Digital narration now allows smaller publishers and authors to produce audiobooks affordably, drastically reducing entry barriers.

However, if you explore the Apple Books app and search for "AI narration," you'll find the selection quite limited. Currently, this feature is only available for romance and fiction genres, with only two digital voices—Madison and Jackson—available now, and more voices like Helena and Mitchell planned for future non-fiction works. The service is presently restricted to English, and Apple has specified the genres for its digital narrators.

Apple notes, "The primary category must be romance or fiction (literary, historical, and women's fiction are eligible; mysteries and thrillers, and science fiction and fantasy are not currently supported)."

When selecting a book narrated by a digital voice, a notification indicates that it is an Apple Books audiobook narrated by a digital voice based on a human narrator. The offerings include both free and paid audiobooks featuring these artificial voices.

This is merely the beginning for Apple and its AI voices, which are set to expand in variety and category. The current limitations stem from the emotional range of these voices; while they can read text clearly, they lack the depth of emotion, inflection, and warmth that human narrators provide.

According to The Guardian, Apple initially intended to capitalize on the AI wave before the holiday season but opted to delay as Twitter captured the tech headlines. Apple has reached out to independent publishers for narration, covering costs while ensuring that authors retain their audiobook rights and can publish in traditional formats.

Apple's approach contrasts sharply with Amazon's Audible, which mandates that submitted audiobooks be narrated by humans. Although one AI-narrated book slipped through, it was promptly removed. Audiobooks represent a lucrative market, and Spotify has been heavily investing in making them a cornerstone of its streaming service alongside music and podcasts.

In closing, I must confess that the title and subtitle of this article were generated by ChatGPT with minimal input from me. At this rate, I might find myself out of work too!