AI voice cloning: An $11 tool recreates your voice so well, even family members may be tricked

AI voice cloning: An $11 tool recreates your voice so well that even family members may be tricked Advertisement Updated: 3:19 PM EST Nov 6, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Brya Berry KMBC 9 News Anchor AI voice cloning: An $11 tool recreates your voice so well that even family members may be tricked Updated: 3:19 PM EST Nov 6, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Brya Berry KMBC 9 News Anchor What if someone called your family pretending to be you, using not only your name but also your actual voice? It may be easier than you think. Advertisement An investigation from sister station KMBC 9 put artificial intelligence to the test to see how easily someone could copy a person's voice and fool someone who knows them. The results were unsettling. As AI-generated deepfakes get better, experts warn tech moving faster than laws meant to control it Using videos that were already posted publicly on YouTube and Facebook, Tenfold Security's cybersecurity expert Aaron Weissenfluh collected 32 minutes of audio of KMBC 9 reporter Byra Berry speaking. Weissenfluh then used artificial intelligence voice-cloning software that cost just $11 to create a digital version of her voice. Some programs are available for free. Berry didn't have to sit in a recording studio or read a script. The audio was already online, available for anyone to hear. Then came the test. Berry called her cousin using the AI-generated voice to see whether she could tell the difference. She had no idea she was part of an experiment, and she believed she was speaking to Berry. Although the cousin eventually noticed pauses in the conversation, the voice itself was convincing enough to make her believe Berry was on the other end of the phone. That raised the question: If the pauses hadn't been there, how much more convincing could the call have been? Scammers can use this technology to impersonate someone you love. A familiar voice can create an immediate sense of trust, especially when the caller claims there's an emergency or asks for money. Pennsylvania woman scammed out of $60,000 aids FBI in catching suspect How can you protect yourself from voice cloning? If you receive an unexpected call from someone claiming to be a family member, especially if they're asking for money, don't rely on their voice alone. Be cautious if the caller pressures you to act immediately or insists that you keep the conversation a secret. Hang up and call that person using a number you already know. You can also establish a family code word to help verify someone's identity during an emergency. Also, use caution when posting videos of yourself online. With so many people sharing videos on social media, scammers may not need much help finding audio to work with. This experiment showed just how little it can take: publicly available recordings, inexpensive software, and a phone call. The biggest takeaway from the investigation is simple: Hearing a familiar voice is no longer proof that you're speaking to the person you think you are. Make WTAE a preferred source on Google Add Preferred Source Share Infinite Scroll Enabled Top Picks Wild video: Runaway tire flies off a truck and strikes an unsuspecting man 19-year-old to become one of Massachusetts' youngest representatives in state history Dramatic video: Mother rescues man drowning 'We brought him home': A WWII soldier killed 82 years ago has finally been laid to rest