On Saturday, October 4th the talk “The voice of those who have no body” was held in Rovereto, during the WIRED Next Fest Trentino, organized by the National Association of Actors Dubbing (ANAD), in which the theme of the strong influence of Artificial Intelligence in the world of dubbing was addressed. In the meeting there were three known voices of the Italian dubbing: Laura Romano (voice of Viola Davis, Rachel Weis, Sofia Vergara), Manuel Meli (voice of Paul Mescal, Josh Hutcherson, Ansel Elgort) and Daniele Giuliani president of the ANAD (voice of Kit Harington, Dylan O’Brien, fear of Inside Out).
The talk has deepened the new uses of AI and, above all, the ethical consequences it entails in the world of entertainment. In recent years, AI is transforming film production processes, to the point that Academy has recognized its use, provided that human creativity remains at the centre. The MoMA has also shown an interest in expanding its collection with work done thanks to AI. This choice goes to redefine the boundary between a work fruit of a human mind and an algorithmic. An increasingly subtle difference that creates discomfort and questions in the artistic world.
Today it is clear that algorithms are able to generate any face and voice, giving them even intonation and emotion. This great imitation ability of the real is what creates fear in the artistic world. As Daniele Giuliani says: “The advent of Artificial Intelligence is something that worries the art world at 360°. […] It worries us especially because there is no regulation. It is absurd to think that there are sites that sell without their consent the voices of my colleagues and then make them say what they want. ”
The debate is precisely on this: the lack of rules that protect the person. In this case, the actor. Not only the image, but also the voice is a biometric data, and as such, each person should be able to decide how and when to use it. For now only Denmark has intervened by proposing a law that recognizes the “theft of voice” as a crime of digital identity. In Italy the ANAD began the campaign “Let’s defend Artistic Intelligence” (#ArtisticIntelligence) with the aim of raising awareness of the film industry and limiting the unconventional use of AI in the artistic professions. Giuliani explains it with the following words: “First we would like to protect ourselves as people, because our colleagues have the right to decide what their voice says, because it is ours. […] If I steal the voice or face of a colleague and create him harm, there must be a penalty. Everyone else can do it. ”
The concern is not linked to the progress of AI, but to the use that is made of it. The case of the actress, Tilly Norwood, generated by artificial intelligence, shows how the phenomenon of “synthetic actors” is spreading. Tilly Norwood has created a lot of interest because it is a new generation of interpreters capable of modelling on any role and, as its creator states, “adesso needs only an agency to represent it.” These figures open both new artistic roads, but at the same time increase uncertainty about the future of art.
This is why the ANAD is working to demand a regulated and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence. The goal is to defend art from incorrect use, without opposing technological developments, maintaining a conscious collaboration between artificial intelligence and artistic intelligence.
L’Anad defends dubbing from artificial intelligence proviene da SentieriSelvaggi.
