In an age where AI has voice actors on edge, the Philippines’ “VoiceMaster” is already training the bots himself.
I met Pocholo Gonzales about twenty years ago. It was the dawn of Web 1.5, considered the precursor years to social media, a time when the Internet was slowly entering its wireless phase in coffee shops, and of course the invention of the word “podcasting” thanks to the iPod. He was an industry pioneer, bringing voices online into the digital space. Into iTunes. Into YouTube. It was more than just the dubbing and recording for commercials. I think he, like many other tech luminaries at that time, saw the Internet as the great equalizer for talent.
Pocholo, blessed with a face that never seems to age, has a voice that follows suit. If you’ve never seen him in person, you’ve probably heard his voice – or his voices: he’s been the VO dubbing talent and director behind popular shows and characters like Meteor Garden, Kuro Chan, Kaiju No. 8, Gaslight District, Murder Drones, among others.
I’ve kept in touch with the man throughout the years and I was really curious to know, in this age of AI and voice cloning, where he stands in the industry. Does he defend the craft and profession of voice artists like himself citing AI ethics, or is he of the more ”‘progressive” sink or swim type. His influence and leanings bear weight in the industry, as he’s trained over 10,000 artists to find and own their voices through CreatiVoices Productions and the Certified Voice Artist Program (CVAP).
After speaking to him I’ve come to realize there’s a deeper conversation to be had, and it has to do more with voice artists being comfortable with lending out their voices, cloning themselves into literally what AI could be doing for your profession. While many creatives are still wondering if AI will take their jobs, Pocholo “The VoiceMaster” Gonzales is already years ahead—because his AI voice is literally working for him while he sleeps.
In the age of AI, which literally just happened during the latter part of the pandemic, his voice has already been used millions of times worldwide, and he isn’t losing sleep over it. In fact, he’s leaning into AI so hard, he cloned his own voice through ElevenLabs and made it teach, host, and inspire on-demand.
“Imagine—Pocholo, on repeat, and on purpose,” he told me. “This isn’t ego. It’s my legacy powered by AI.”
It’s a bold, unapologetic pivot in an industry where most artists are still cautiously toeing the line between fear and fascination. But for Pocholo, AI didn’t kill voice acting—it exposed who’s coasting and who’s creating.
“AI didn’t end VO,” he says. “It ended mediocrity.”
Your voice is a product
Voice acting in the AI era is no longer about booking gigs—it’s about building digital products. Think voice clones, teaching tools, AI hosts, dataset creation, and licensing your likeness.
“Kung boses lang ang kaya mong ibenta, maghanda ka,” he says. “But if you have a message and a mindset, AI will amplify you.” (If all you can sell is your voice, you better prepare for the worst. But if you have a message and a midset, AI will amplify you.)
Working together with ElevenLabs, a service that offers AI voice overs and voice-activated assistants, Pocholo helped create the first AI voices that actually sound like real Filipinos—not some neutral English accent with a vague Southeast Asian tone.
“Before, yung Filipino voice parang extra lang. Now? Headline. And I made sure of that. I fought to put our rhythm, accent, and story into the global AI voice library. Ngayon, may AI voices na nagsasabing “Tara na!” at “Kaya mo ‘yan!”—at tunog totoong Pinoy.” (Before, the Filipino voice was an oversight. An extra. I fought to put our rhythm, accent, and story in the global AI voice library. Now, we have AI voices that can say “let’s go!” or “you can do it! And it really sounds authentic.)
I realized that I’ve actually used these voices. I’ve been an ElevenLabs paid subscriber for a while and have used their library of voices for VO for event coverages. I had no idea this effort – this advocacy was started by him. I was able to find really good Filipino VO’s that have the signature Filipino accents in English. They’re scary-accurate. I’ve included a sample of what I’m talking about below.
When tech outpaces legislation
While discussions around AI ethics and copyright continue, Pocholo is all about adaptation over hesitation. “Bureaucracy is dial-up,” he tells me. “AI is 5G.” In short—if you’re waiting for the system to protect you, you’re already obsolete.
That’s why at CVAP, he teaches voice artists how to license their voice, own their IP, and evolve into voice entrepreneurs. Because as far as he’s concerned, legislation may come and go, but ownership is everything.
“Your growth,” he says, “will always be your greatest protection.”
Clone wars
In a time when many creatives feel threatened by machines, Pocholo Gonzales has flipped the script. He doesn’t see AI as a rival—it’s his distribution partner. And that’s the difference.
Where others see competition, he sees scale.
Where others see extinction, he sees evolution.
“I always say, voice isn’t just for entertainment,” he tells me. “It’s for education. It’s for transformation.”
And now, it’s for immortality.
