Would you like to watch a foreign film dubbed with artificial intelligence to sound like the original actors?

An Argentine horror and fantasy film titled The Witch Game is set to premiere in theaters in the United States and the United Kingdom. This Spanish-language film has opted for a unique solution, bypassing subtitles and English voice actors by using artificial intelligence tools to recreate the original actors' voices speaking in that language. This decision has sparked a debate, as it exemplifies the growing concerns about the impact of AI in the workforce.

The plot of The Witch Game centers around a young girl who receives a virtual reality headset for her 18th birthday, which transports her to an unsettling magic school in another world. Directly inspired by Harry Potter, this film is directed by emerging horror director Fabian Forte. In the film, the actors speak in Spanish, which traditionally poses challenges for viewers who do not master the language, often forcing them to rely on subtitles or dubbing. However, in this case, the dialogue in English is matched with the original voices thanks to artificial intelligence, which translates and syncs the voices in a way that mimics the tone and emotion of the original performances.

On one hand, this technique allows for the preservation of the essence of the performances and is also more cost-effective, thus facilitating the global distribution of independent films. There is a growing interest in this type of technology, as companies like Papercup, DeepDub, DubFormer, D-ID, and ElevenLabs have developed their own versions of translation and dubbing tools. Although many of these initiatives are still in early stages and focus more on marketing and personalized content, the anticipation for what AI-generated voices can bring to cinema continues to rise.

However, voice actors have voiced their opposition to the use of dubbing through artificial intelligence, as this practice eliminates job opportunities for professionals trained to evoke emotions and adjust the cadence of dialogue in different languages, even without exactly replicating the original performers. Furthermore, questions arise regarding consent and compensation related to the use of AI-generated voices. For example, do the original actors have the right to refuse a clone of their voice? Are they compensated for each additional language in which their vocal clone is used?

In Hollywood, there are already influential figures who have expressed their stance on this matter. Robert Downey Jr. threatened legal action if a studio decided to use a clone of his voice or likeness. California has passed a law prohibiting the unauthorized use of such artificial intelligence clones, although it remains to be seen how this will affect the film industry on a global scale. On the other hand, James Earl Jones agreed to allow Disney to use his voice in future Darth Vader projects before his passing, signing a contract that specifies the conditions for using his AI voice clone.

The Witch Game might not be subject to these dilemmas, given that it is a relatively niche film with a small budget seeking to reach a wider audience. However, if it manages to capture the public's attention, it would not be surprising for other independent filmmakers around the world to make similar decisions in the future.