Will artificial intelligence silence the voices that have graced our screens and entertained us through our childhood? In Europe, dubbing artists are sounding the alarm. Brigitte Lecordier, an icon of French dubbing who lent her voice to Son Goku (from the “Dragon Ball” anime series) as well as Enid Blyton’s “Noddy”, is one of them. Alongside voice actor Patrick Kuban, she played a significant role in mobilising fellow artists to form the “Touche Pas Ma VF” (Don’t Touch My French Version) movement.

The fundamental issue lies with generative AI models training themselves on the work of these artists, often without consent or proper compensation. The European Commission’s AI Act, which aimed to provide a legal framework for using tech powered by artificial intelligence, has been critiqued for its ambiguous wording, especially when it comes to copyright concerns. Laws regulating copyright, drafted before the boom in generative AI, have struggled to help artists retain ownership of their work.

A threat to ‘linguistic diversity’

Beyond the legal battles, the dubbing artists ChatEurope spoke with were worried that the art may soon disappear, replaced by tech tools that can do the job quicker. “Playing a role, understanding their emotions, their feelings… an AI tool cannot bring these little nuances to the performance,” said Lecordier. Over time, an increased usage of AI-powered dubbing tools could threaten “Europe’s linguistic diversity,” added Kuban.

AI regulation at the European level could play a decisive role in protecting dubbing artists and voice actors. However, with the vested interests of film studios and AI giants, often based in the US, going up against the need to preserve the cultural and artistic heritage associated with this art, will this be truly possible? ChatEurope explains in the video above. 

Thaïs Chaigne
Translated by Tanishk Saha