---
title: "Kokoro-82M | Ethical Stack"
url: https://ethicalstack.ai/models/kokoro-82m/
catalog_version: f6baff2119d0e9158520da7fbe4232011dac79f25bd08757436d7a1dbd593db2
---

# Kokoro-82M

A small open-weight text-to-speech model for local speech generation with preset voice packs.

Canonical profile: https://ethicalstack.ai/models/kokoro-82m/

Scope: Upstream hexgrad Kokoro-82M model card, weights and related voice-pack release.

Published overall: 5.5; 6/6 dimensions rated.

Round the equal-weight mean of available numerical ratings to one decimal; require at least four of six for an overall score. BDS status stays outside the mean; for eligible profiles, a boycott target caps the final score at 2/10 and a pressure target subtracts one point (minimum 1). Not listed and not checked do not adjust the score.

## Energy practices

Finding: 4/10

Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/models/kokoro-82m/#energy

The model card reports training compute and provides a small local model; electricity and inference energy remain unmeasured.

Reason: 1 + 2 reporting + 0 electricity + 1 controls = 4/10. This grades documented practices and transparency.

Argument: Kokoro v1.0 reports about 1,000 A100 GPU-hours across its training releases and publishes an 82M-parameter model that can run locally. The grade credits scoped compute reporting and a practical runtime choice. GPU-hours are not kWh, and neither local inference nor a small model proves low emissions.

Type: argument; confidence: medium

Scope (dimension): Kokoro-82M

Research reviewed: not recorded; evidence date: not recorded

Unknowns: Comparable per-minute or per-generation electricity, water use, lifecycle emissions and independently verified clean-power sourcing are not published in these sources.

```json
{
  "method": "practices-transparency-v1",
  "scope": "Kokoro-82M",
  "components": {
    "disclosure": {
      "score": 2,
      "reason": "The v1.0 model card reports a dated training release and about 1,000 A100 GPU-hours in total. This is a scoped compute disclosure, not metered electricity or an inference footprint.",
      "sourceUrls": [
        "https://huggingface.co/hexgrad/Kokoro-82M"
      ]
    },
    "electricity": {
      "score": 0,
      "reason": "No attributable clean-electricity procurement or hourly matching evidence was found in the cited primary material.",
      "sourceUrls": [
        "https://huggingface.co/hexgrad"
      ]
    },
    "demand": {
      "score": 1,
      "reason": "The downloadable 82M-parameter model provides a small, locally controllable inference option. The card does not measure energy savings against another system.",
      "sourceUrls": [
        "https://github.com/hexgrad/kokoro"
      ]
    }
  },
  "actualImpactMeasured": false
}
```

- [hexgrad Kokoro official GitHub repository](https://github.com/hexgrad/kokoro) (primary; checked 2026-10-28)

- [hexgrad official company, product or policy source](https://huggingface.co/hexgrad) (primary; checked 2026-10-28)

- [hexgrad Kokoro-82M upstream model card](https://huggingface.co/hexgrad/Kokoro-82M) (primary; checked 2026-10-28)

## Training data

Finding: 5/10

Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/models/kokoro-82m/#training-rights

The model card discloses training source classes but does not publish a complete rights ledger.

Reason: 1 + 2 source transparency + 2 permission + 0 creator controls = 5/10, with the permission cap applied.

Argument: The upstream Kokoro model card says the model used permissive or non-copyrighted audio, including public-domain, permissively licensed and synthetic speech. It names two Creative Commons source datasets and their approximate durations, but does not itemize the rest of the training data. This is model-specific provenance and a meaningful rights claim, not a complete independent permissions audit.

Type: argument; confidence: medium

Scope (profile): Upstream hexgrad Kokoro-82M model card, weights and related voice-pack release.

Research reviewed: not recorded; evidence date: not recorded

Unknowns: The full source inventory, speaker consent records, exact licenses for the remaining training data, rights-holder removal process and independent rights audit are not published in the reviewed model materials.

```json
{
  "method": "training-rights-evidence-v1",
  "scope": "The stated training release or selected model",
  "components": {
    "provenance": {
      "score": 2,
      "reason": "The card names broad source classes and two identified datasets, but not the full training data.",
      "sourceUrls": [
        "https://huggingface.co/hexgrad/Kokoro-82M"
      ]
    },
    "permissions": {
      "score": 2,
      "reason": "The publisher says the training data uses permissive/non-copyrighted audio and identifies named CC-licensed components; the material remainder is not itemized.",
      "sourceUrls": [
        "https://huggingface.co/hexgrad/Kokoro-82M"
      ]
    },
    "creatorControls": {
      "score": 0,
      "reason": "No rights-holder opt-out, removal or retraining remedy is documented in the model release sources.",
      "sourceUrls": [
        "https://huggingface.co/hexgrad/Kokoro-82M"
      ]
    }
  },
  "routeDependency": null,
  "modelReference": null
}
```

- [hexgrad Kokoro-82M upstream model card](https://huggingface.co/hexgrad/Kokoro-82M) (primary; checked 2026-10-28)

## Your data & privacy

Finding: 8/10

Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/models/kokoro-82m/#privacy

Local inference can keep the audio and transcript on your own device.

Reason: The published model can be downloaded and run locally. Once downloaded, inference need not send recordings or transcripts to the model publisher; software dependencies, telemetry, backups and any remote application remain separate data paths under the operator’s control.

Argument: The published model can be downloaded and run locally. Once downloaded, inference need not send recordings or transcripts to the model publisher; software dependencies, telemetry, backups and any remote application remain separate data paths under the operator’s control.

Type: argument; confidence: medium

Scope (profile): Upstream hexgrad Kokoro-82M model card, weights and related voice-pack release.

Research reviewed: not recorded; evidence date: not recorded

Unknowns: The model publisher does not audit the user’s runtime, network connections, logging, backups or downstream application. Verify those components for your installation.

- [hexgrad Kokoro-82M upstream model card](https://huggingface.co/hexgrad/Kokoro-82M) (primary; checked 2026-10-28)

- [hexgrad official company, product or policy source](https://huggingface.co/hexgrad/Kokoro-82M/blob/main/LICENSE) (primary; checked 2026-10-28)

## Openness

Finding: 8/10

Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/models/kokoro-82m/#openness

The model weights and code are published under a permissive license; training remains difficult to reproduce.

Reason: Kokoro-82M weights are published on the upstream Hugging Face repository under Apache-2.0, with code in the linked official repository. This enables local use subject to the included license. A complete training data and reproducible end-to-end recipe are not supplied.

Argument: Kokoro-82M weights are published on the upstream Hugging Face repository under Apache-2.0, with code in the linked official repository. This enables local use subject to the included license. A complete training data and reproducible end-to-end recipe are not supplied.

Type: argument; confidence: medium

Scope (profile): Upstream hexgrad Kokoro-82M model card, weights and related voice-pack release.

Research reviewed: not recorded; evidence date: not recorded

Unknowns: A complete data manifest, exact training recipe and independently reproduced end-to-end training are not supplied.

- [hexgrad Kokoro-82M upstream model card](https://huggingface.co/hexgrad/Kokoro-82M) (primary; checked 2026-10-28)

- [hexgrad Kokoro official GitHub repository](https://github.com/hexgrad/kokoro) (primary; checked 2026-10-28)

## Worker protections

Finding: 1/10

Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/models/kokoro-82m/#labour

hexgrad publishes public company and careers information, but the reviewed pages do not establish worker protections across its AI supply chain.

Reason: 1 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 1/10. Documented worker protections; missing disclosure is an evidence gap.

Argument: The reviewed company and product material provides some public visibility into the organization, but not independently verified evidence on annotation, moderation, contractor pay, worker representation, grievance handling or remedies. This score reflects what the vendor documents, not a finding that workers are mistreated.

Type: argument; confidence: medium

Scope (dimension): hexgrad employees and AI supply-chain workers

Research reviewed: not recorded; evidence date: not recorded

Unknowns: Contractor conditions, worker voice and remedy, supply-chain coverage and independent worker-level assurance are not established in these sources.

```json
{
  "method": "worker-safeguards-evidence-v1",
  "entity": "kokoro",
  "company": "hexgrad",
  "scope": "hexgrad employees and AI supply-chain workers",
  "components": {
    "conditions": {
      "score": 0,
      "reason": "No clear public evidence on pay or working conditions across employees and contractors was found in the reviewed company and product pages.",
      "sourceUrls": [
        "https://github.com/hexgrad/kokoro"
      ]
    },
    "voice": {
      "score": 0,
      "reason": "No worker grievance, representation or remedy process was found in the reviewed public pages.",
      "sourceUrls": [
        "https://huggingface.co/hexgrad"
      ]
    },
    "assurance": {
      "score": 0,
      "reason": "No independent worker-level implementation audit was found in the reviewed public pages.",
      "sourceUrls": [
        "https://github.com/hexgrad/kokoro"
      ]
    }
  },
  "disclosureLimited": true
}
```

- [hexgrad Kokoro official GitHub repository](https://github.com/hexgrad/kokoro) (primary; checked 2026-10-28)

- [hexgrad official company, product or policy source](https://huggingface.co/hexgrad) (primary; checked 2026-10-28)

## Military ties

Finding: 7/10

Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/models/kokoro-82m/#military-contracts

No military customer, contract or operational defense offering was established in the official sources reviewed for hexgrad.

Reason: 7 base + 0 safeguard adjustment = 7/10 (0 of 9 safeguard points; every 3 adds 1). No military relationship was established in the cited sources. This ranks above known defense ties without claiming a verified clean record.

Argument: The reviewed official company and product materials establish an audio product business but do not identify a military customer, defense contract, operational defense offering or military-use restriction. This is a bounded finding about sources checked, not proof that no relationship exists. No identity, location or supplier assumptions are used.

Type: argument; confidence: medium

Scope (dimension): Publicly disclosed hexgrad products and business; no deployment inferred

Research reviewed: not recorded; evidence date: not recorded

Unknowns: Named customers, contract scopes, downstream deployments, customer-screening practices and independent military-use oversight may not be disclosed in the reviewed material.

```json
{
  "method": "military-ties-priority-v2",
  "entity": "kokoro",
  "company": "hexgrad",
  "scope": "Publicly disclosed hexgrad products and business; no deployment inferred",
  "components": {
    "restrictions": {
      "score": 0,
      "reason": "The permissive model/code license states no military-use restrictions; no separate model-specific military policy was found.",
      "sourceUrls": [
        "https://huggingface.co/hexgrad/Kokoro-82M/blob/main/LICENSE"
      ]
    },
    "oversight": {
      "score": 0,
      "reason": "No public military customer review or independent defense-use oversight was found in these sources.",
      "sourceUrls": [
        "https://huggingface.co/hexgrad"
      ]
    },
    "transparency": {
      "score": 0,
      "reason": "The reviewed pages do not name a military customer, contract scope or deployment.",
      "sourceUrls": [
        "https://huggingface.co/hexgrad"
      ]
    }
  },
  "disclosureLimited": true,
  "relationship": "not-established",
  "relationshipReason": "No direct military or defense relationship was established in the reviewed official product, company and terms pages. This is a source-limited finding and does not certify that no relationship exists.",
  "score": 7,
  "baseScore": 7,
  "safeguardPoints": 0,
  "safeguardAdjustment": 0,
  "rawScore": 7,
  "cap": null
}
```

- [hexgrad official company, product or policy source](https://huggingface.co/hexgrad) (primary; checked 2026-10-28)

- [hexgrad official company, product or policy source](https://huggingface.co/hexgrad/Kokoro-82M/blob/main/LICENSE) (primary; checked 2026-10-28)

## BDS targets

Finding: Not listed

Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/models/kokoro-82m/#israel-palestine

hexgrad was not named in the two official BNC technology and corporate target lists checked.

Reason: Campaign category, excluded from numerical scoring.

Argument: The official BNC corporate boycott and pressure guide and its No Tech campaign page do not name hexgrad among the current targets listed there. BDS uses selective, campaign-based targets; absence from these two lists is neither approval nor a broad assessment of company relationships.

Type: argument; confidence: medium

Scope (profile): Upstream hexgrad Kokoro-82M model card, weights and related voice-pack release.

Research reviewed: not recorded; evidence date: not recorded

Unknowns: This categorical check covers only the two linked BNC lists as reviewed on the date shown; local campaigns and future list updates may differ.

- [BNC guide to boycott and pressure targets](https://bdsmovement.net/Guide-to-BDS-Boycott) (campaign; checked 2026-10-28)

- [BNC No Tech campaign](https://bdsmovement.net/no-tech-oppression-apartheid-or-genocide) (campaign; checked 2026-10-28)

## Reading the evidence

- Assessments are provisional editorial judgments. Cite the profile and the underlying sources, and retain confidence, scope and unknowns.

- Unknown, not-applicable and model-dependent are different states. Missing evidence does not establish good or bad conduct.

- Company-level evidence does not establish use of a particular product or model. Account plan, model, host and route can change an assessment.

- Energy scores describe documented practices and transparency, not measured request emissions. Zero component points can mean an evidence gap.

- Published overall scores require at least four of six numerical dimensions. Preserve coverage and BDS adjustments; BDS itself is categorical.

- No named BDS target found is limited to the reviewed campaign sources and is not approval. Personalized priorities do not change the published overall score.

- Review and source-check dates describe the research, not this deployment. Fetch current primary sources when the decision requires current verification.

Methodology: https://ethicalstack.ai/methodology/