The new iOS 17 voice-cloning feature could arrive before 2023 ends.
A woman wears a mask while using iPhone past the crossroads on May 11, 2020, in Wuhan, China. The government has begun lifting outbound travel restrictions after almost 11 weeks of lockdown to stem the spread of COVID-19.
However, is this iPhone enhancement really safe to use? As of writing, numerous AI-powered voice-cloning tools are already available in the tech sector.
These AI models can greatly benefit consumers and businesses. But they also benefit malicious actors. Now, will the new iOS 17 voice-cloning feature be used by cybercriminals as well?
iOS 17 Voice-Cloning Feature: Everything We Know So Far
According to Fox News' latest report, the upcoming iOS 17 voice-cloning feature called "Personal Voice" seems like a thing from a "Black Mirro" episode.
A girl reacts as she tries an iPhone X at the Apple Omotesando store on November 3, 2017, in Tokyo, Japan. Apple launched the latest iPhone featuring face recognition technology, a large 5.8-inch edge-to-edge high-resolution OLED display, and better front and back cameras with optical image stabilization today.
Although some people may find this iPhone enhancement a little bit creepy, Apple said that it could help users suffering from speech difficulties; especially those with ALS.
The new iOS 17 Personal Voice feature will be integrated with Live Speech; a new accessibility feature that converts texts into audio outputs.
The Personal Voice feature can produce sounds that match the original voice of the iPhone user.
Potential Risks of iOS 17 Personal Voice
Cybersecurity organizations, such as McAfee, warned that voice-cloning tools are now leading to new breeds of scams.
Recently, McAfee conducted a survey with 7,000 participants. Based on the company's findings, one in four individuals said that they experienced voice cloning scams.
This means that the use of voice-cloning tools in malicious campaigns is becoming more rampant.
This could also happen to the upcoming iOS 17 Personal Voice feature, especially since many criminals tend to steal iPhones compared to Android devices, as claimed by some studies.
Of course, this will still remain speculation until Apple officially rolls out the new iPhone voice-cloning feature.
As of press time, Apple is expected to preview the new iOS 17 and its enhancements at the upcoming WWDC 2023 on June 5.
MacRumors reported that the new iPhone operating system could be launched as early as September; together with the new Personal Voice feature.
If you want to learn more details about the new iOS 17 and its voice-cloning feature, you can click here.
Aside from iOS 17, Apple is also quite busy with other new products.
Previously, the iPhone maker is allegedly planning to mass produce the Apple M3 and other devices on TSMC's 3nm.
Meanwhile, new concept ideas and widgets for the upcoming Apple WatchOS 10 were leaked.
For more news updates about Apple and its upcoming innovations, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
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