AI Dubs Spark Outrage: Amazon Scrambles to Remove

Amazon's Prime Video has experienced a significant public relations setback with its recent introduction of AI-generated dubs for anime content. The beta program, which offered English and Spanish artificial dubs for various films and series, quickly drew widespread criticism. The backlash stemmed from both the perceived poor quality of the AI-generated audio and broader concerns about the impact on human voice actors and the authenticity of dubbed content.

Following the intense public outcry, which included criticism from industry professionals like voice actor Daman Mills, Amazon has started to remove some of the AI-generated English dubs. Titles such as 'Banana Fish' and 'No Game No Life: Zero' have had these versions taken down. However, the Spanish AI dubs are reportedly still available on several programs as of the current date. Amazon has been contacted for comment regarding the rollout and subsequent removal of these features.

This event marks another instance where a major company has faced public backlash for its use of generative AI. Earlier, Disney reportedly halted AI integration in projects like 'Tron: Ares' and 'Moana' due to copyright concerns and potential public relations issues. Despite these hesitations, Disney has also announced plans to incorporate AI features into its own streaming platform, raising questions about whether other companies will learn from Amazon's recent public embarrassment.