Mexican voice actors protest AI cloning, seek legal safeguards
The protest, held at the Monument to the Revolution, highlighted concerns over job security and ethical violations.
The issue of AI replacing human talent gained global attention during Hollywood's 2023 strikes, where actors and writers fought to protect their roles from automation.
A recent controversy involved Scarlett Johansson, who accused OpenAI of replicating her voice without permission, prompting the company to alter its AI model.
Protesters in Mexico City carried signs with messages like 'I don't want to be replaced by AI,' emphasising the urgency of legal safeguards.
Lili Barba, president of the Mexican Association of Commercial Announcements, called for voices to be classified as biometric data to ensure protection.
Barba referenced a TikTok video by Mexico's National Electoral Institute, which used the cloned voice of late actor Jose Lavat without his family's consent.
'It's a major violation, and we can't allow it,' she said.
Actress Harumi Nishizawa, known for her dubbing work, described the craft as an art form requiring emotional depth and precision.
'If no laws are passed, human dubbing will disappear,' she warned, predicting massive job losses.
Tech giants like Amazon and YouTube are already testing AI dubbing tools, while South Korea's CJ ENM showcased an AI system capable of generating 3D characters with synchronised voices.
However, industry professionals argue that AI lacks the human touch.
Mario Heras, a dubbing director for video games, stated that AI cannot replicate the spontaneity and emotion of human performances.
'The human factor protects us in this rebellion against the machines,' he said. – AFP
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