Under the slogan “Don’t Steal Our Voices”…dubbing workers enter the battle against the “monster” of artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence raises the fears of many workers in various fields that it will cause them to lose their jobs. In America, screenwriters have gone on strike and actors have also threatened to strike, due to the danger that artificial intelligence tools pose to their professions.
Actors specializing in dubbing voices in film and television, and audiobook readers around the world are preparing for a confrontation with artificial intelligence that threatens their future careers, and they see it as a “huge beast” capable of creating digital sounds that are identical to human voices.
According to what was reported by the French Press Agency, twenty unions and labor organizations from Europe, the United States and Latin America have established the “United Voices Organization”, which is campaigning under the slogan “Do not steal our votes” in order to push for the adoption of legislation that harmonizes artificial intelligence and human creativity.
The organization warns against the “random and unregulated” use of artificial intelligence, which could lead to the elimination of “the artistic heritage of creativity (…) that machines cannot produce.”
In recent years, dubbing professionals have not been particularly concerned about the spread of “Text To Speech” technology, which is a technology that makes it possible to convert written text into speech emanating from a human voice by automatic utterance, and it is a method used in video services. Voice assistants such as Siri and Alexa.
But artificial intelligence has added “machine learning” that allows the software to compare an audio sample against millions of other samples.
AI-powered platforms such as revoicer.com offer a wide range of voice services for a monthly fee of $27, which is a fraction of what professionals charge in this field.
On its website, the platform says the service “is not intended to replace human voices,” but does offer a cost-effective alternative.
“This new technology is fueled by the voices we have provided over the years,” explains the president of the Mexican Association of Commercial Voice Operators.
And she adds, “We are talking about the human right to use voice and interpretation without consent.”
These technology companies continue to hire translators, but they know that their services contribute to feeding a huge audio archive.
These voice artists are calling for the adoption of laws to prevent the use of their voices without their consent, and the imposition of “human labor quotas,” as explained by the Colombian dubber Daniel Soler de la Prada, who represented the “United Voices Organization” at the United Nations and the World Intellectual Property Organization.
In Mexico, one of the most important countries in the field of dubbing in Latin America, a bill has also been introduced that aims to regulate this technology.
In Argentina, there is a law that restricts dubbing to people who specialize in the field, which means excluding dubbers, according to Fernando Costa, who is fighting with the Dubbing Artists Union against the slogan of digital audio services companies, “Stop using dubbers, save money.”
A revolution, but not at any cost.
But artificial intelligence opens up endless possibilities. In the future, for example, the real voice of actor Will Smith could be dubbed into several languages, with a professional pronunciation similar to that of professional voice actors, according to Mexican narrator and dubber Mario Filho.
“We are fighting against a huge monster,” says Filho, who took over the voice performance in Spanish for a role presented by Will Smith, and put his voice on famous characters, including “Obi-Wan Kenobi” (Star Wars) and “Winnie the Pooh.”
He indicates the possibility of concluding agreements that preserve the gains aspired by the public and preserve jobs, “provided that we receive fair salaries,” stressing the “lack of protection” in this independent profession.
Agence France-Presse contacted six digital audio service companies, but none of them responded to their questions.
However, the French Press Agency stopped at a contractual clause stating that the sale of rights includes “non-existent or unknown means and methods (…) that may appear in the future.” Dubbing workers believe that this clause “violates” their rights.
Maclovia Gonzalez, a Mexican dubber who collaborates with prominent brands, is currently in negotiations with an artificial intelligence company, which she declined to be named.
Before committing, Gonzalez says she asks a lot of questions, but only gets partial answers with promises of returns. Since the two sides first contacted five months ago, other voice actors have been hired. “I want to be part of this revolution,” Gonzalez asserts, “but not at any price.”
The same warning was issued by the dubbing company Art Dubbing, after it received requests for quotes from customers who wanted artificial intelligence voices.
The company’s director, Mexican Anwar Lopez de la Peña, refuses to sacrifice human talent, but he realizes that he is now facing a dilemma “either adapt or disappear.”
And Mario Filho stopped giving his voice to many clients, refusing to “give up on everything.” “It is time to support my colleagues,” he says, expressing his conviction that artificial intelligence “cannot” replace humans because it is simply “without a soul.”
