Postmortem Voice Cloning: Individuals Perspectives of Ownership and Deceptive Harms

increasingly realistic, making it possible to replicate a person's voice with just a few seconds of audio. Cloned voices are already being used in impersonation scams, including family emergency schemes where callers use cloned voices to pose as relatives in distress to solicit money. Postmortem voice cloning introduces new opportunities for misuse, allowing bad actors to impersonate deceased individuals or emotionally manipulate surviving family members. My dissertation research examines the risks that individuals associate with voice cloning. Using a mixed-methods approach that incorporates surveys and participant interviews, I will also explore assumptions about voice privacy and expectations regarding regulation and prevention of unauthorized use. I will use thematic analysis that is guided by an established voice cloning harm taxonomy. The goal of my research is to understand the perspectives of individuals to inform safeguards, legal protections, and platform responsibilities surrounding the unauthorized use of a person's voice after their death.