In the streaming era, international shows and films are more accessible than ever. At this point, many of you are likely accustomed to watching TV with subtitles or opting for the dub when you can’t be bothered to read a bunch of text. Unfortunately, not every title has a dub, which is why Prime Video has turned to AI as a solution.
On Wednesday, Amazon announced that it will begin offering AI-aided dubbing on Prime Video for licensed movies and shows that wouldn’t be dubbed otherwise.
If you have a Prime Video subscription, you’ll be able to test out the new AI-powered dubbing in English and Latin American Spanish on 12 licensed movies and shows starting today, including El Cid: La Leyenda, Mi Mamá Lora, and Long Lost.
“At Prime Video, we believe in improving customers’ experience with practical and useful AI innovation,” said Raf Soltanovich, VP of technology at Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. “AI-aided dubbing is only available on titles that do not have dubbing support, and we are eager to explore a new way to make series and movies more accessible and enjoyable.”
If Amazon sticks to employing this technology on content that otherwise might never be dubbed into other languages, I’m all for it. I’d rather humans be paid to record voice lines than listen to a robot imitate a human voice, but if the studio simply doesn’t have the time or resources to make it happen, this could be an affordable compromise.
That said, I took the AI dub of El Cid: La Leyenda for a spin, and I was not exactly blown away. The AI lacks the ability to modulate its emotions effectively, resulting in a fairly lifeless voiceover. I’m aware that this is just a pilot program, but I can’t imagine sitting and listening to a dub of this quality for an hour, much less an entire season of a show.
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