# What's up with this ubiquitous AI voice? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 1, 2025, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-ubiquitous-ai-voice/1020355 "2025-07-01T14:27:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-ubiquitous-ai-voice/1020355/1 "2025-07-01T14:27:24Z")
When I’m watching videos on my youTube feed, I come across videos, often video shorts, that use [this particular AI voice](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uUuCpG1XwEU) all the freakin’ time. What’s the deal with this particular voice-- is it supposed to emulate a certain person’s voice, or is it just a default voice that one of the major AI apps use? To me it sounds kind of like, but not exactly, old radio broadcaster [Paul Harvey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7jAXV3j_7k). Not at all sure that’s who it’s supposed to be, though. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-ubiquitous-ai-voice/1020355/2 "2025-07-01T14:38:33Z")
> [@solost](#): > > To me it sounds kind of like, but not exactly, old radio broadcaster [Paul Harvey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7jAXV3j_7k). Not at all sure that’s who it’s supposed to be, though. And now…you..know…the…rest ofthestory. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-ubiquitous-ai-voice/1020355/3 "2025-07-01T15:11:57Z")
But…I _don’t_ know the rest of the story! Hence the OP 😊 ---
**Author:** ![DETXL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/detxl/32/19366_2.png) [@DETXL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DETXL)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-ubiquitous-ai-voice/1020355/4 "2025-07-01T15:28:26Z")
Someone suggested it sounded like the guy who does the [Historical Blindess](https://www.historicalblindness.com/) podcast, and, I don’t think that’s deliberate but I could see how it could have been designed to evoke that particular kind of podcast voice, which is perhaps our modern equivalent of a radio voice. Formally, it’s [ElevenLabs](https://elevenlabs.io/)’s voice “Adam,” which I assume is popular either because it’s been cloned or because ElevenLabs is cheap to begin with. I just use it as an immediate sign that whatever YouTube has decided to shove at me is AI-generated slop and I should skip it immediately. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-ubiquitous-ai-voice/1020355/5 "2025-07-01T15:30:39Z")
Ninja’d! ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-ubiquitous-ai-voice/1020355/6 "2025-07-01T15:30:44Z")
> [@DETXL](#): > > Someone suggested it sounded like the guy who does the [Historical Blindess](https://www.historicalblindness.com/) podcast, and, I don’t think that’s deliberate but I could see how it could have been designed to evoke that particular kind of podcast voice, which is perhaps our modern equivalent of a radio voice. Hmm, maybe it’s meant to evoke the voice, or the ‘modern equivalent of a radio voice’ in general as you say, but it doesn’t sound to me _too_ much like the ‘Historical Blindness’ guy’s voice. > [@DETXL](#): > > Formally, it’s [ElevenLabs](https://elevenlabs.io/)’s voice “Adam,” which I assume is popular either because it’s been cloned or because ElevenLabs is cheap to begin with. Ah, thanks! > [@DETXL](#): > > I just use it as an immediate sign that whatever YouTube has decided to shove at me is AI-generated slop and I should skip it immediately. Agreed, though I have sort of a horrified perverse fascination with all the AI-generated video content slop out there, so I watch more of it than I should, albeit mostly only when it’s a short. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-ubiquitous-ai-voice/1020355/7 "2025-07-01T15:35:26Z")
I got beat to the punch but to otherwise put off some work tasks this morning, I made this… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FBXkAS-00zY/hqdefault.jpg "Test Voice") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBXkAS-00zY) ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-ubiquitous-ai-voice/1020355/8 "2025-07-01T15:38:11Z")
I knew which voice it was going to be before I even listened to the clip. I, too, hear it everywhere, though I was never sure whether it was AI, or just a voice actor who would record anything you wanted as long as the check cleared. It’s not just in YouTube videos. I’ve heard in in actual television commercials–admittedly very cheap-ass ones–for an app where you can buy generic Viagra or Cialis. “Adam” sounds very excited to be able to buy knock-off Viagra at such a low price! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-ubiquitous-ai-voice/1020355/9 "2025-07-01T15:44:28Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > “Adam” sounds very excited to be able to buy knock-off Viagra at such a low price! If he was actually very excited, he wouldn’t need Viagra. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-ubiquitous-ai-voice/1020355/10 "2025-07-01T15:46:03Z")
Interesting. I’m in Canada and I don’t know if I’ve ever heard that AI voice before. The one I most frequently recognize is a female voice. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2025, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-ubiquitous-ai-voice/1020355/11 "2025-12-29T13:31:12Z")
> [@DETXL](#): > > [ElevenLabs](https://elevenlabs.io/)’s voice “Adam,” which I assume is popular either because it’s been cloned or because ElevenLabs is cheap to begin with. I just heard the ‘Adam’ voice being used in a commercial for a local auto dealer. First I’ve heard the voice outside the context of AI slop videos. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2025, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-ubiquitous-ai-voice/1020355/12 "2025-12-29T17:04:09Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > The one I most frequently recognize is a female voice. Maybe the default TikTok voice? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-ubiquitous-ai-voice/1020355/13 "2025-12-30T01:01:12Z")
Sounds like David Shuster: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Ier89FE7OuQ/maxresdefault.jpg "The Tragic Aftermath of Police Restraint") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ier89FE7OuQ)