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AI's 'Devouring Hydra' Threatens French Artists
25 Feb
Summary
- Actors warn AI is causing brutal competition and cloning voices without consent.
- Hundreds of artists, often struggling, surrender rights to AI despite risks.
- French actors are demanding a legal framework to ensure AI coexistence with art.

French actors have voiced grave concerns regarding the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on their profession, describing it as a "devouring hydra." Prominent figures, including Gérard Jugnot and Karine Viard, have signed an open letter highlighting the widespread cloning of actors' voices without consent.
They report that artists are facing brutal competition and are often compelled to surrender their rights to AI, despite the risks to their image and future. This "systematic plundering" is happening now, prompting calls for a legal framework that allows AI to coexist with artists' work and copyright.
The dubbing industry is particularly threatened, with eight actors recently sending formal notices to U.S. companies for unauthorized voice cloning. The 'Touche pas ma VF' collective is campaigning for "dubbing created by humans for humans," launching a petition that has garnered nearly 250,000 signatures.
An AI-modeled voice for Sylvester Stallone in early 2025 sparked ethical debates after the original dubbing actor's death. Concerns are also global, with a Chinese software company accused of copyright infringement for an AI-generated video featuring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.




