Two-thirds of Brits would not listen to an AI-narrated audiobook

• Research found that 1 in 5 Brits prefer a human narrator to AI when listening to audiobooks, whilst 65% would not listen to an AI-narrated audiobook at all.
• The English accent was most popular when choosing from English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh and Northern Irish.
• The narrators voice can make or break a book for listeners with 42 percent saying they’d stop listening if it was a celebrity they weren’t a fan of and 26 per cent would stop listening if the narrator had a strong accent.
• Victoria Smurfit, RNIB’s President, and fellow actors David Tennant, Danny Dyer, Alex Hassell, Bobby Lockwood, Brendan Patricks, Bryony Hannah, Catriona Chandler, Denise Black, Eliot Salt, Guy Siner, Jonny Weldon, Katherine Parkinson, Lara Peake, Nino Furuhata, Oliver Chris, Olivia Poulet, Rufus Jones, Selina Griffiths and Timothy Blore have recorded excerpts from their favourite novels to mark the occasion.

Victoria Smurfit and Rivals co-stars have donated their voices to mark 90 years’ of RNIB’s Talking Books service which provides free audiobooks to blind and partially sighted people. The news comes as research commissioned by the charity (conducted by YouGov) reveals British people prefer human narration over artificial intelligence (AI) when listening to audiobooks. 65 percent would not listen to an AI narrated audiobook at all and 20 per cent would listen but prefer a human voice.

The Rivals cast members joined their co-star Victoria Smurfit (who is President of RNIB) in creating audio snippets from A Brief History of Time, Casino Royale, The Da Vinci Code, 101 Dalmatians and other favourite novels.

The research also found that the English accent was most popular (when choosing from English, Scottish, Northern Irish, Irish and Welsh) and that Brits believe the audiobook narrator can make or break engagement with 42 percent saying they’d stop listening if it was being narrated by a celebrity they weren’t a fan of.

Over a quarter (26 per cent) would stop listening if the narrator had a strong accent and a third (30 per cent) would stop listening if the narrator’s voice was very different from how they imagined the character. Only 16 per cent felt that nothing about the narrator would cause them to stop listening to an audiobook.

President of RNIB, Victoria Smurfit said: “Audiobooks are a popular escape for many of us, but they’re also an essential accessibility aid which allow blind and partially sighted people to access literature on a par with sighted peers. Listening to literature doesn’t just give people with sight loss the chance to enjoy fiction but it provides access to information and education, which in turn, can lead to employment for people who can’t read standard print.

“It’s a form of entertainment which is widely used in modern society but was created out of the need for equity and access to literature – and there’s something really special about that.”

RNIB’s Talking Books service was created 90 years ago, in response to veterans returning from the First World War, unable to read print literature as a result of their injuries. Today, the service is still a reliable resource for people with sight loss and currently has 56,000 titles available. Last year alone, books were borrowed over one million times from RNIB’s Talking Books library.

Debbie Miller, Interim Chief Operations Officer at RNIB said: “Audiobooks have opened up a world of stories, learning and inspiration for me, and they do the same for so many blind and partially sighted people across the UK. RNIB's Talking Books service is a companion and without it, there would be a huge hole for me where books, imagination and discovery should be.

“Having access to the same books, stories, and cultural moments as everyone else helps me feel connected to the world around me. It gives me something to talk about, share and experience with family, friends and colleagues, creating a real sense of belonging. For me, Talking Books is about inclusion, connection and ensuring that blind and partially sighted people can participate fully in the conversations and experiences that bring us together.”

RNIB’s Talking Book service is free to people with sight conditions. Readers can choose how they want to read – whether through Alexa, on portable devices, tablets, smartphones, CDs and memory sticks. The charity also provides specialist support for anyone that requires guidance on accessing technology so that everyone can enjoy the library.

You can enjoy the audio snippets of classic novels and find out more about RNIB’s Talking Books service here: