Apple has made it clear in its latest update to its support documentation that the expansion of AI-read aloud audiobooks in the Apple Books app are not intended to steal the jobs of human readers, but rather to expand the scale of audiobooks.
In official support documentation, Apple said, “More and more book lovers are listening to audiobooks, but only a small percentage of books are being converted to audio, which results in millions of books being inaccessible. Many creators, especially independent creators and part-time creators associated with small publishers are unable to create more audiobooks due to the cost and complexity of production.”
In support documentation, Apple believes Apple Books’ digital narration technology can help make it easier for everyone to create audiobooks and meet the growing demand by providing listeners with more books.
Digital narration content complements professionally read human audiobooks and helps expand audiobooks and make more audiobooks more accessible to more people,” Apple said. Apple Books remains focused on expanding the scale of human audiobooks, but in a way that aids development through AI.”
Apple’s support documentation goes on to say that there are currently two AI-generated voices. The adult female voice is called Madison, and the adult male voice is Jackson, both of whom speak American English.
