Adobe Unveils ‘Project VoCo’' Sneak Peak, Updates; 'Photoshop' For Audio Literally Puts Words In Your Mouth

Adobe revealed that it is working on a software codenamed ‘Project Voco.’ The company, most popular for its Photoshop editing software now wants to create a photoshop for audio.

In a report by The Verge, Adobe developer Zebu Jin revealed in California at the Adobe MAX conference last Thursday that the company is working on a software that acts like a “Photoshop for audio.” The software penned ‘Project VoCo’ has the ability to let users edit an audio file as they would a photo. In fact, the main feature of the software is that it can add speech to an existing audio recording as well.

Adobe envisions a technology that allows users to easily alter or insert a transcript. ’Project Voco’ will require 20 minutes of audio recording samples from a speaker. The ‘Project VoCo’ software then processes the speech by examining its phonemes, renders the recording and generates the voice type. Tech Crunch writes that Adobe uses voice conversion synthesis technology that is unlike the conventional speech technology as there is almost no need to manually process the audio file. The report adds that the transcript that is automatically generated may be corrected without the need for timestamps as Adobe has set the algorithms for that.

Furthermore, Futurism believes ‘Project VoCo’ may pose a risk of abuse. The report elaborates that while the software may create new ways of creating entertaining content, it can also pave the way to abuse. The Internet is already filled with deceitful information, and people might use the ‘Project VoCo’ in spreading even more fallacious campaigns virtually against anyone.

Adobe’s ‘Project VoCo’ is still under development, and the company has yet to provide the date for its commercial release. In a tech standpoint, the Photoshop voiceover is quite impressive. However, the ethical repercussions that go with it should be considered should it be commercially released.