Euro voice actors have a Eurovision for regulation as AI threatens $4.3B industry

European voice actors are mobilizing against artificial intelligence as the technology threatens to disrupt the $4.3 billion dubbing industry, with industry associations calling for EU regulation to protect jobs and artistic rights. The pushback comes as streaming giants like Netflix experiment with AI dubbing solutions while the global dubbing market is projected to reach $7.6 billion by 2033.

What you should know: Voice actors across Europe are demanding legislative protection as AI dubbing technology becomes more sophisticated and cost-effective.

• Boris Rehlinger, the French voice of Ben Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix, leads the TouchePasMaVF initiative to protect human-created dubbing from AI replacement.
• A German petition from the VDS voice actors’ association gained over 75,500 signatures, calling for explicit consent requirements when AI companies train on artists’ voices and transparent labeling of AI-generated content.
• The campaign includes 12 well-known German dubbing actors whose TikTok video “Let’s protect artistic, not artificial, intelligence” garnered 8.7 million views.

Market dynamics: The dubbing industry is experiencing significant growth driven by global streaming platforms and viewer preferences.

• Consumer research shows 43% of viewers in Germany, France, Italy and Britain prefer dubbed content over subtitles.
• Netflix relies heavily on dubbing for global hits like “Squid Game” and “Lupin,” amplifying demand for dubbing services.
• The market growth could accelerate adoption of AI solutions as platforms compete for subscribers and seek cost efficiencies.

How studios are experimenting: Major entertainment companies are cautiously testing AI dubbing technologies with mixed results.

• Netflix has experimented with generative AI to synchronize actors’ lip movements with dubbed dialogue, though these tests still rely on local voice actors rather than synthetic voice translation.
• Streaming service Viaplay removed the German-dubbed version of Polish crime series “Murderesses” after viewer criticism about the monotony of AI-generated dialogue created with Israeli startup DeepDub.
• German studio Neue Tonfilm Muenchen is exploring how AI and human dubbing can coexist while maintaining quality standards.

What they’re saying: Industry professionals emphasize the human elements that AI cannot replicate while acknowledging technology’s potential efficiency gains.

• “I feel threatened even though my voice hasn’t been replaced by AI yet,” said Rehlinger, highlighting the team of professionals needed “to ensure audiences barely notice that the actor on screen is speaking a different language than they hear.”
• “The fear is that AI will be used to make something as cheap as possible and then people will say, ‘Okay, I’ll accept that I’ll have poorer quality’,” warned Eberhard Weckerle of Neue Tonfilm Muenchen studio.
• Stefan Sporn, CEO of Audio Innovation Lab, believes “humans will always be needed for emotion, scripting, and language nuance, just not to the same extent.”

Consumer reception: Viewer attitudes toward AI-generated content remain mixed but show some acceptance.

• According to GWI research, nearly half of viewers said their opinion would not change if they learned content was AI-generated.
• About 25% said they would like AI-generated content slightly less, while only 3% expressed increased preference for it.

Regulatory landscape: The voice acting industry is pushing for comprehensive legal frameworks similar to recent Hollywood protections.

• The 2023 Hollywood labor disputes resulted in new AI guidelines, with the SAG-AFTRA actors’ union contract now permitting certain AI dubbing uses while requiring actor compensation.
• European voice actors want EU legislation requiring explicit consent for voice training data and fair compensation for AI-generated work using their voices.
• “We need legislation: Just as after the car, which replaced the horse-drawn carriage, we need a highway code,” Rehlinger said.

Emerging solutions: AI companies are positioning their technology as collaborative tools rather than replacements for human talent.

• Audio Innovation Lab’s technology alters original actors’ voices to match target languages, with CEO Sporn noting “interest is huge” from producers, studios and advertisers.
• Flawless AI markets itself as an ethical company that works with local voice actors and uses technology to match lip movements to different languages.
• Co-CEO Scott Mann said, “When AI technologies are used in the right way, they are a silver bullet to change how we can film-make in a new way.”