With the recent rise of artificial intelligence, concerns are growing in the French dubbing community. To combat this growing threat to the voice professions, voice actors are mobilizing.
Risk of duplication
In total, there are 12,500 jobs (from actors to translators to technicians) “Potential danger in France, in 110 companies of the sector”Explains the professional association Les Voix and the French performers’ union CGT, according to research by the social protection group Audiens.
after launch petition last JanuaryThe association Les Voix, signed almost 30,000 times, intends to go further with a warning from the government and in particular the Minister of Culture Rachida Dutt. Thus, more than 40 main dub authors will soon speak about the alarm by broadcasting a video on social networks.
From Brigitte Lecordier (Son Goku VF) to Jean-Pierre Michael (Brad Pitt VF) through Philippe Peitier (Homer Simpson VF) or Pascal Chemin and Olivia Lucione, many personalities are beginning to fight to promote government legislation on the subject. AI in the field of duplication.
AI tools HeyGen, Eleven Dubs and Deepdub, which can imitate voice or translate video into several languages, including lip movements, pose an extremely serious threat to the dubbing industry.
an insidious threat
“Generative AI engines today are fueled by the collection of work that we consider illegitimate that we work on, ultimately AI is increasingly fueled by content previously generated by other AIs. You!”Refers to the Les Voix association.
Generative AI engines today are fueled by mining the jobs we consider illegitimate to work on.
“How can we not see in this “inbred” mechanism a terrible narrowing of the range of intellectual works? An unprecedented and serious risk of homogenization, desiccation and cultural impoverishment?The team is concerned.
for industry professionals, “It is the duty of public authorities to act not to prevent innovation, but to regulate the development of generative artificial intelligence in such a way as to protect artists, works, culture and employment. The need to develop French and European tools in the face of American and Chinese giants, but these same countries, surprisingly, are more ready to regulate , than ours.Defines Les Voix.
Launching the hashtag #TouchePasAMaVF on social media, the dubbing personalities want to draw the government’s attention to this crucial issue, which has been criticized by many professionals in the field for many months.
It will be a disaster! Everyone needs to wake up.
Act immediately
“This is going to be a disaster. Everyone needs to wake up.”warned the actor Jean-Pierre Michel (VF of Brad Pitt and Keanu Reeves) at the AFP microphone. “A lot of people who have been listening since they were kids are very excited when they find out we’re a part of their lives.”emphasizes the actor.
“When I discovered the technology, I was convinced that it would develop very quickly and that it would quickly cause problems, I immediately panicked, and the near future proved me right.Artistic director Gregory Laisne (Attack on Titan) confides in our microphone at the Voix Ouf show.
“There are no regulations, it’s not regulated, whoever develops artificial intelligence doesn’t see the problem, it’s not just a technological development, it’s a product designed to destroy the whole sector, not just ours, I’ve seen it before. AI can replace architects, journalists, even on the legal side to replace lawyers at some level.Grigori Laisne asks.
It’s not just a technological development, it’s a product designed to disrupt an entire industry.
For his part, artistic director Jean-Marc Panettiere, a legend in the profession (he recently directed the French version of Assassins of the Flower Moon) also expressed his concern about this “artificial imitation”. “I’m not the only one who says that the word ‘intelligence’ is a bit overused. I don’t see how an algorithm can replace an actor.”he claims in Voix Ouf.
“It Takes Soul”
“It needs soul, soul. To me, it’s completely intangible and not reproducible by artificial intelligence. When dubbing a foreign film, every link in the chain is different, but the only thing they have in common is “this experience. ability and if you entrust VF to 3 different teams you will have 3 different VFs.
“And I challenge you to tell me that one would be better than the other. All I can say is that I don’t see how an AI can put it all together in the equation. There’s always something missing from it. “The order of the ineffable. It’s like translation and what we call the genius of language. Automatic translation cannot restore it.”explains Jean-Marc Panettiere.
It takes soul, soul. To me it is completely intangible and not reproducible by artificial intelligence.
A cultural exception?
Actress Brigitte Lecordier, in particular, is calling for a cultural exception to French dubbing to protect against the threat of artificial intelligence. “If we don’t do anything, Americans, for example, will do their dubbing at home using this tool, and there will be no more studios, no more sound engineers, and no more actors.”Worried about the actor, Son Goku’s VF as a child in Dragon Ball.
“Unfortunately, the actors (through their union SAG-AFTRA) refused to agree with the studios after the Hollywood strike. In particular, they refused the possibility to give consent in the contracts will be voiced in the foreign version in AI around the world, Studios will be able to directly generate automated versions for the European market.clarifies Les Voix co-founder Patrick Cuban, who also campaigns for cultural exclusion.
Does it lead to state aid?
for the association “We must be able to accurately identify machine learning data. It is essential that each holder of a right to a protected work or an ordinary citizen concerned with the integrity of their personal data can clearly allow or refuse the use of his data and the works to which he is entitled.”
“The public must also be informed of the ‘synthetic’ nature of the programs they consult, so that they know they are created by artificial intelligence. This information must be provided clearly, visibly and audibly.”
“Public assistance in the cultural sphere should be conditional on compliance with these restrictions, as well as employment of workers and artists. Quotas of works and content created by human artistic intelligence”Les Voix Association claims.
mirror of the soul
Actor Mike Dara, interviewed by us as part of Voix Ouf, recalls that there will be no artificial intelligence “Never a human voice. Everything is in the word ‘artificial’. Our voice is a mirror of the soul. How can AI be a mirror of the soul? Rather than theft, it’s a form of rape, because it’s not really. Human.”
Only the law can limit the damage. Then there is the money story behind it and unfortunately it is not in people’s favor.
“Only the law can limit the damage. After that, there is the story of money, and unfortunately, this is not a human benefit. Everything related to art is in danger”Regrets the actress, the French voice of Whoopi Goldberg and Viola Davis.
The joy of optimism
For Emmanuel Curtil, Jim Carrey’s legendary VF, “Everything is changing very quickly”She said on our Voix Ouf podcast, sending hope. “Who could have predicted streaming and music platforms… all of these things have turned the entertainment world upside down, despite Netflix, Amazon, etc., cinema is not dead, it’s doing pretty well.
“That’s why I’m trying to be optimistic about the rise of artificial intelligence. There was a lot of concern about the death of cinema, and in the end it’s doing very well. People still want to travel to go see a movie in theaters. AI has to be very advanced to be able to replace human emotions.
“Distributors and platforms will not hesitate to use this type of technology, while others aim to reproduce human imperfections, for example, I’m not so worried, I try to be a firm optimist.” concludes Emanuel Curtil.
However, AI can be useful in the world of dubbing, provided it is highly regulated. For example, he could fix the lip sync on characters’ mouths. However, this cannot change the editor’s work.
With a turnover of 700 million, the dubbing industry is very heavy and AI faces a rapid and massive loss of activity if nothing is done in the near future. If you want to support French dubbing, Feel free to sign and share the petition Run by Les Voix.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
