The recent controversy surrounding the dubbing of the series ‘Banana Fish’ on Amazon Prime Video has ignited the debate about the use of artificial intelligence in the anime industry. After the platform used an AI system to produce the dubbing, the results were deemed disastrous, leading Amazon to withdraw the content shortly after its release. This event has put competitors’ actors on alert, who are closely watching the fans’ reactions.
Something more emotional
Crunchyroll, one of Amazon’s main competitors in anime distribution, has stated that it will not use AI in its dubbing. In the words of its representative, dubbing is an emotional connection, it is not a service, which reinforces its commitment to quality and authenticity in the user experience. In Latin America, where dubbed content is highly valued, more than 30 series are dubbed per season. Spain is also increasing the number of series with dubbing in Spanish to attract local fans.
However, Crunchyroll has not been free from problems related to AI. Recently, the platform faced a scandal when it was discovered that the subtitles of a series had been generated by ChatGPT. The company removed these subtitles and distanced itself from AI, holding the translation company involved responsible. This situation has led Crunchyroll to take a firm stance against the use of artificial intelligence in creative processes.
As the discussion about AI in dubbing continues, it seems that viewers still value the emotional connection and quality that human dubbing offers, which could influence the future direction of the anime industry.