Latest news with #Mathers
The National
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
I've voiced ScotRail trains for 20 years. No one told me AI was replacing me
Fletcher Mathers, a Scottish voiceover artist and actress with credits on Shetland and Taggart, has told The National she was sent a recording of the AI announcer by her friend who asked if she had been replaced. The Government-owned train operator recently rolled out 'Iona', an AI voice on some routes, which replaced older messages recorded by Mathers since 2005. READ MORE: SNP's 2026 candidates 'ignore' grassroots independence campaigners While established Scottish voiceover artist and actress Gayanne Potter is seeking 'an apology from ScotRail and an acknowledgement they have made a mistake' when basing "Iona" on recordings she made in 2021 without her consent, Mathers has revealed she also had no knowledge of the AI rollout. 'I got a WhatsApp message from a friend, an audio message, and she just went, 'listen to this,' and she was on the train. She recorded the voiceover on the train and let me hear it. 'And that's the first I knew that they were looking at changing over to AI,' Mathers shared. 'To be honest, after 20 years, it was a bit hurtful that they hadn't informed me that they were changing. 'I get things are moving in that direction. But I think we have be really careful about it and just let people know. Let people know if their voices are going to be taken over by AI.' Mathers then got in touch with her agent, who went to ScotRail and asked if their client was now out of a contact. ScotRail told Mather's agent which trains the AI has now been rolled out on and contracted the actress for another six months of usage. 'I think that was the compromise that ScotRail and my agent came to: That I would be paid for six months of usage,' Mathers, originally from just outside Perth, explained, adding: 'There's not much I can do. I do the voiceover, and I love that job. 'That's a third of my life I've been the voice on ScotRail. I don't take it for granted. I love the job. I think it's quite a privilege to do that job to be the voice that so many people hear.' Passengers also don't take her for granted. One 21-year-old man wrote to Mathers thanking her 'on behalf of all passengers' for her voice making him feel cared for when his living situation didn't feel safe as a child. A woman also got in touch and thanked her for keeping her company when travelling to her husband who was undergoing chemotherapy in hospital. Mathers shared: 'She said 'I never felt lonely because I felt as if you were with me on the train,' and that's a lovely thing for someone to say. They would no one will say that with an AI voice.' READ MORE: Pat Kane: Language really matters if we're to save ourselves from AI overlords Mathers isn't necessarily upset about the move to AI, but the way in which it has been handled for all involved. She stressed her support for Potter as well as voiceover artist Diane Brooks — a second Scottish woman who has discovered a synthetic version of her voice being used, this time on Edinburgh bus operator Lothian Buses. 'I know I'm not there forever. I thought what might happen is they may go with a male Scots voice after me. I didn't know that it would be so quickly to AI." From what Mathers understands, the AI's possibly not quite ready, and she doubts it's ability to pronounce words in Scots. 'I would like them to wait until it's ready. I haven't heard much of it, but I'm not sure it's good on the 'CH' pronunciation in Scots. Mathers works with Braw Clan, a Scots language theatre company, to create plays in Scots for audiences in Clydesdale and southern Scotland. "We cannot put out an AI system that mispronounces key aspects of the Scots language. And this is a national company — it's important," she said. 'Its intonation pattern doesn't sound quite right. So why not wait until it's ready? 'It feels rushed and feels kind of lurched towards it.' She added: "Let's just stop for a moment and think, take a more considered and careful path moving forward, a path on which which people own their own body and voice, a path in which multinationals pay for their voiceovers in a fair and just manner, a path in which people are informed in advance if their work is being replaced by AI. "Let's simply be human, be thoughtful and respectful to everyone involved. That's surely the answer." The rail operator has told media it does not intend to remove the AI voice from its trains. A sign of changing times Since originally recording announcements two decades ago with the team who rolled out the voiceover on the Hong Kong underground, Mathers has intermittently recorded and re-recorded updated lines. Around 10 years ago, Mathers changed agent and ScotRail struggled to get in touch with her. 'But they sought me out for that continuity,' Mathers stressed, comparing the contrasting treatment she has faced in the last week. 'If I'd been the announcer on them for two years or five years, maybe even seven years, then fair enough, but I've been there for 20 years.' Mathers has still not been contacted by anyone from ScotRail and is in the dark on whether her voice will disappear suddenly from the trains. 'I hope they use both,' she said, referring to human voices and AI, adding: 'I think there's a place for both. I think, for example, when you arrive at a station, I could say, 'you are now arriving in Edinburgh Waverley,' or whatever, and then if there's a delay or something changes, AI could be helpful in updating that.' READ MORE: Labour's migration crackdown will shrink UK economy, expert analysis says 'Even if AI can say the words right, it doesn't have the same feeling. It's that connection that matters." When The National approached ScotRail, a spokesperson said: 'ScotRail has been in contact with Fletcher Mathers' agent and confirmed that her voice would be used on all of the remaining trains in our fleet until at least December 2025.' The voice, 'Iona,' is the same that will be used on a remote real time system currently being developed for future use, the operator shared. They added: 'Place names and words can be entered phonetically. Milngavie is input as Mill-guy, Achnasheen as Akna-sheen for instance. This ensures that ScotRail staff have control over the current pronunciation of stations throughout the country. "It has been used on the class 156 fleet for small additional announcements in relation to East Kilbride, and also on the HST trains for announcements to advise of things like single door operation.'
Daily Record
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Ryder Cup star's backup golf caddy banks whopping £270,000 after answering late SOS
The back-up hopped onto the Austrian's bag after an SOS shout at the beginning of the week from the Ryder Cup star Lucky caddy Drew Mathers is in line for a staggering £270,000 windfall after Sepp Straka's late call-up to the Truist. The back-up hopped onto the Austrian's bag after an SOS shout at the beginning of the week from the Ryder Cup star. Straka 's regular caddy Duane 'Dewey' Bock was unable to do his work at the event after sustaining a back injury. Bock was in attendance, but couldn't carry the clubs and the European star had to call upon his pal Mathers to do the business. Straka made the trip worthwhile for his mate as he stormed to victory at the Philadelphia Cricket Club to grab a second PGA Tour title of the year, the fourth of his career, and charge up into the World No.9 spot in the rankings. With caddy rewards normally 10 per cent of a player's winnings, that could mean a cheeky dollop of the £2.7 million winnings heading to Mathers. Just three weeks ago, the same thing happened with Joe Greiner, who was called up by Justin Thomas to assist him after an injury to his regular looper Mark Minister. Greiner carried the clubs through Thomas' win at the RBC Heritage before moving back into a full-time with Collin Morikawa. On Mathers' selection, Straka said: 'I reached out to Drew, who I play golf with a lot in Birmingham and he immediately hopped on a flight and was up here ready to go. I've played a lot of golf with him, so it was very comfortable being beside him and it was a lot of fun having him on the bag, really. "Dewey's been here all week supporting us and just really grateful for those two guys, Dewey was also there to hug me on the 18th green.' You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also on WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
CBS News
24-04-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Eye hospital in Philadelphia to give free screenings on Diabetic Eye Screening Day
Free screenings to help prevent vision loss for people with diabetes are happening this Saturday at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia on Diabetic Eye Screening Day. Jack Mathers gets routine treatments for his eyes to protect the vision he has left. "If I'm looking at five letters, the one in the middle is missing," he said. Diabetes caused his vision loss. "I was worried, am I not going to be able to drive, am I not going to be able to do my job?" he said. He works on a computer all day and didn't know that diabetes is the most common cause of blindness in working-age Americans. "Which is a tragedy because so much of it is preventable," said Dr. James Vander, retina specialist at Wills Eye Hospital. Vander said diabetic retinopathy is treatable when caught early, but that often doesn't happen. "The most common reason for vision loss in diabetes is swelling of the retina," Vander said. "There are many diabetics with significant eye damage who have no idea they're in trouble." That's what happened to one Eagles fan who lives in Roxborough. "It kinda crept up on me, I didn't realize it was happening," said Mathers. Vander said it's fortunate that Mathers was eventually diagnosed. Many others aren't. "We see people who have vibrant, fulfilling lives who now can't drive, cant work, can't read, can't take care of themselves because they let it go too long," Vander said. Vander and the team at Wills Eye Hospital aim to change that with a yearly event that's happening Saturday. It now includes several locations. In Pennsylvania, April 26 has officially become known as Diabetic Eye Screening Day. "If we can get these people to come in, then we have a chance to help them," Vander said. It's a quick and easy eye exam for people with diabetes that could save their vision. You have to make an appointment for the Saturday screening at Wills Eye Hospital.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'Don't deport us over health issue' say couple
A British couple who face being deported from Australia after one of them was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) have said it is not fair the life they built could be taken away "any minute". Jessica Mathers, 30, and boyfriend Rob O'Leary had their bid for permanent residency rejected in 2023 due to the potential cost to health services of treating her condition. The project manager and DJ from Macclesfield, who has lived in Sydney since 2017, said the couple had been "living in a state of uncertainty" for years as they waited for an outcome of an appeal against the decision. The Australian Department of Home Affairs has been contacted for comment. Ms Mathers and Mr O'Leary, 31, from East London, met while backpacking in the country in 2017 and have lived there ever since. He started a business in the carpentry and construction trade three years ago, and said the couple had "made the most of our lives here". But Ms Mathers's diagnosis of the relapsing-remitting variant of MS in 2020 has led to a visa battle with authorities that could see the pair thrown out of the country. Symptoms are typically mild for this form of MS, according to the NHS, but about half of cases can develop into a more progressive form of the disease. She has received treatment in Australia under a reciprocal health agreement with the UK and said her condition had been "well managed" so far. But the couple's requests for permanent residency were rejected in 2023 due to the costs associated with her medical care. Non-citizens entering Australia must meet certain health requirements, including not having "unduly increasing costs" for the country's publicly-funded healthcare service Medicare. The couple lodged an appeal with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal after the visa rejection in 2023, and have been waiting for the past two years for an outcome. Mr O'Leary said they had offered to pay the medical costs themselves or take out private insurance, "but the law is black and white, and the refusal is based on that, it's really hard for us". They have started an online petition to call for Australia's Minister for Home Affairs to review their case and look into immigration policies that "unfairly target individuals with well-managed health conditions". Mr O'Leary said the couple were "not asking for special treatment" but a chance to continue "working hard to contribute to this country in meaningful ways". He said: "We've always paid tax, we've always worked, Jess has done heaps of charity work." Ms Mathers said the couple had been "stuck not knowing what to do" as they waited for the outcome of their appeal, which had made it difficult for her to find anything other than temporary work. She said: "It's held up our whole life, it's really upsetting. "We know that we could get a refusal from the tribunal and then get given 28 days to leave the country, at any minute. "We've got so much opportunity in Australia, and to walk away from it would be so sad." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
01-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'Please don't deport us over MS diagnosis' pleads British couple
A British couple who face being deported from Australia after one of them was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) have said it is not fair the life they built could be taken away "any minute". Jessica Mathers, 30, and boyfriend Rob O'Leary had their bid for permanent residency rejected in 2023 due to the potential cost to health services of treating her project manager and DJ from Macclesfield, who has lived in Sydney since 2017, said the couple had been "living in a state of uncertainty" for years as they waited for an outcome of an appeal against the decision. The Australian Department of Home Affairs has been contacted for comment. Ms Mathers and her boyfriend Rob O'Leary, 31, from East London, met while backpacking in the country in 2017 and have lived there ever started a business in the carpentry and construction trade three years ago, and said the couple had "made the most of our lives here". But Ms Mathers's diagnosis of the relapsing-remitting variant of MS in 2020 has led to a visa battle with authorities that could see the pair thrown out of the are typically mild for this form of MS, according to the NHS, but about half of cases can develop into a more progressive form of the has received treatment in Australia under a reciprocal health agreement with the UK and said her condition was "well managed" so her and her boyfriend's requests for permanent residency were rejected in 2023 due to the costs associated with her medical care. Non-citizens entering Australia must meet certain health requirements, including not having "unduly increasing costs" for the country's publicly-funded healthcare service Medicare. The couple lodged an appeal with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal after the visa rejection in 2023, and have been waiting for the past two years for an O'Leary said they had offered to pay the medical costs themselves or take out private insurance, "but the law is black and white, and the refusal is based on that, it's really hard for us". They have started an online petition to call for the Australia's Minister for Home Affairs to review their case and look into immigration policies that "unfairly target individuals with well-managed health conditions". Mr O'Leary said the couple were "not asking for special treatment" but a chance to continue "working hard to contribute to this country in meaningful ways". He said: "We've always paid tax, we've always worked, Jess has done heaps of charity work." Ms Mathers said the couple had been "stuck not knowing what to do" as they waited for the outcome of their appeal, which had made it difficult for her to find anything other than temporary said: "It's held up our whole life, it's really upsetting."We know that we could get a refusal from the tribunal and then get given 28 days to leave the country, at any minute."We've got so much opportunity in Australia, and to walk away from it would be so sad." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
