Next-Gen Voice in Second Life
WebRTC, AI Voices, and Community Concerns
October 1, 2025 – Second Life’s voice future took center stage today as Philip Linden joined residents for a special Community Roundtable Conference, drawing more than 100 attendees across four sims. The session focused on Linden Lab’s ongoing transition to WebRTC-based voice, new features like AI-generated voices and voice-to-text, and the pressing concerns residents have about safety, fraud, and identity in a world where anyone’s voice can be cloned.
The Future of Voice in SL: WebRTC
Second Life has been phasing out its long-running Vivox voice system in favor of WebRTC, a modern, open-source protocol that delivers:
- Crystal-clear stereo audio
- Ultra-low latency communication
- Noise reduction and automatic gain control
- Mobile client voice support
Philip confirmed that over 150 regions are already running WebRTC in beta, with more regions opting in every week. The change promises a new era of clarity, immersion, and stability—though not without its challenges.
Known issues include viewer crashes when connecting headsets, incompatibility with older viewers, and loss of the legacy voice morphing feature. Group voice calls are also capped at 50 participants under WebRTC, down from Vivox’s higher limits.
AI Voices and Voice-to-Text
Perhaps the most eye-catching reveal was Linden Lab’s exploration of AI-powered voice systems. Features under consideration include:
- Voice-to-text transcriptions for those who can’t or prefer not to use voice.
- Text-to-speech with customizable AI-generated voices—including pre-selected options (male, female, celebrity-inspired) or even cloned voices trained from your own recordings.
- Voice morphing and cloning that could one day replicate anyone’s vocal style.
While many were excited about accessibility improvements—such as support for residents with verbal disabilities—others voiced strong concerns about fraud, impersonation, and deepfakes. Philip acknowledged the risks, admitting that Linden Lab has not yet found a “solid answer” on how to protect against fake voices. Ideas like encrypted IDs, authentication options, and clear indicators when someone is using AI voice were floated, but nothing concrete has been finalized.
The Live Experience: Glitches, Bears, and Big Questions
As with any ambitious live event in SL, the roundtable wasn’t without hiccups. Audio from Philip Linden dropped several times during the session, and a large-scale “shout test” organized by Roxy Linden left many residents garbled or unclear.
Still, the mood remained upbeat—especially when both Philip and Roxy Linden handed out collectible Linden Bears, a tradition that always stirs excitement among long-time residents.
During Q&A, resident Cody raised accessibility concerns for those with verbal disabilities. Philip responded by offering him possible alpha or beta access to new tools in development. Other residents pressed for answers about security, voice changers, and government oversight, but Linden Lab emphasized that the technology is still in early stages, with more community feedback needed.
What Residents Should Do Now
For those eager to try the new system:
- Update your viewer or mobile client to ensure compatibility with WebRTC.
- Visit WebRTC-enabled regions (such as the “Pop Rocks” or “Preflight” channels).
- Estate and region owners can join the beta by filing a support ticket requesting a WebRTC voice upgrade.
- Report bugs via feedback.secondlife.com.
The Takeaway
Second Life’s voice overhaul is ambitious, blending cutting-edge WebRTC infrastructure with a bold look at AI-driven voice features that could radically change how residents communicate. But with innovation comes uncertainty: fraud prevention, deepfake risks, and community safety remain open questions.
As Philip put it during the conference, this is only the beginning of the conversation. Linden Lab is listening, experimenting, and—at least for now—leaving the door wide open for resident feedback on how Second Life should sound in the years to come.
Nice little message when I logged in today.
[10:09] Philip Linden: (Saved Thu Oct 02 12:09:51 2025)Thanks for writing something!
