Are we ready for artificial intelligence voice advertising? Comparing human and artificial intelligence voices in audio advertising in a multitasking context

Artificial intelligence (AI) voices are widely used every day by consumers and marketers, while audio broadcasting is also returning to its golden age. Consequently, the demand to learn about the quality of AI voices in audio advertising is gradually increasing. However, there is a significant gap between video and audio advertising research. This study, therefore, used the PLS-SEM method to analyze the relative impact of using an AI voice versus a human voice in audio advertising in the context of listeners performing other tasks. It explored relationships among voice effectiveness, attitude toward the advertisement, recall, and duration with a sample size of 1,292 participants. The results show a strong relationship between voice effectiveness, attitude toward the advertisement, recall, and duration in advertising using a human voice. Meanwhile, advertising using an AI voice produces similar results, except that duration does not act as a moderator in the relationship between voice effectiveness and attitude toward the advertisement. In short, in the context of listeners not paying much attention to the ad, advertising using AI and human voices has similar effects. Indeed, more than half of the listeners do not even realize they are hearing advertisements read by AI voices.