AI criticised in film industry but cloned voices could become as common as stunt doubles, says technology expert
For Hollywood A-listers, having a cloned voice double could become as common as having a stunt double, an AI expert has told Sky News.
While both the BAFTAs and Oscars annually celebrate craftsmanship and creativity, off-screen this award season a battle for votes has played out with some industry voices critical of the seemingly secretive way in which the technology is being deployed.
Brady Corbet, the director of 10-time Oscar nominee The Brutalist, has found himself having to clarify to Deadline how actors Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones “worked for months” with a dialect coach “to perfect their accents” – but that artificial intelligence was also used in post-production to ensure a cleaner edit of some of their Hungarian vowel sounds.
Emilia Perez, A Complete Unknown and Dune: Part Two have also been drawn into the debate for using AI in some way.
While on the other side of the debate, Hugh Grant‘s horror Heretic provocatively declared on its end credits: “No generative AI was used in the making of this film.”
Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones star in The Brutalist. Pic: Rex/ Everett/Shutterstock
‘Horrendous’ dubbing may be a thing of the past
Ausrine Skarnulyte, the chief executive of an AI company called Voice-Swap, said the film industry needed to understand “the genie is out of the bottle”.
“We’re seeing increased adoption across the film and TV industry even though at the moment no one’s really talking about it, at least not as loudly as they would like to admit.”
“Voice doubles is essentially where the technology is going,” she insisted.
Not only would allowing their voice to be officially cloned for a project potentially save actors time, but crucially it could save studios money.
Ausrine Skarnulyte, from Voice-Swap, spoke to Sky’s Katie Spencer
Skarnulyte said: “Any sound engineer with access to official AI voice models can then do post-production edits when the actor is not in the studio, without needing them to come back and re-record lines.”
According to Skarnulyte, who is originally from Lithuania, another benefit is how it transforms dubbing a film into a different language.
“I grew up watching Steven Spielberg, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Arnold Schwarzenegger 80s action movies, and the narration itself… the dubbing was horrendous.
“With this technology, we could build Antonio Banderas’ voice to speak in any language… it serves so that you could mimic someone’s natural voice pretty easily.”
Pic: AP
Sky correspondent’s AI voice experience
How quickly can it be done? In less than a day, using a 45-minute recording of my speech, the team at Voice-Swap were able to create a basic AI version of me.
It is an unsettling experience to hear myself suddenly fluent in Lithuanian. The timbre and tone of what they demo sounds just like me and even has, I’m told, a slight British lilt to keep things authentic.
Mastering even the basics of a language for an actor, like this, would take months – this has required zero learning on my part.
Katie Spencer spoke some words in Lithuanian and then compared her voice to a basic AI version of her speech
While some may assume it instantly puts out of work those who’ve made careers out of redubbing stars for different territories, that actually isn’t the case.
Skarnulyte explained that she used recordings of herself speaking Lithuanian and then voice-to-voice AI conversion, effectively grafting my voice onto hers.
Establishing the boundaries, she said, is most important.
“You need to make sure that it’s used within the professional setting, that there is clear attribution in place, that there is transparent data set.”
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Ultimate guide to film awards season
Opposition to growing AI influence
But not everyone is convinced that the pros outweigh the cons.
Actor John Magaro, who stars in the Munich Olympics thriller September 5, said the creeping influence of AI is “a frightening thing”.
He told Sky News earlier this year: “I wouldn’t encourage anyone to become an actor nowadays. It’s daunting, I don’t know where it’s heading.”
Actor John Magaro. Pic: Reuters
According to industry publication Variety, declaring what AI is in your film will be mandatory at next year’s Oscars.
“There’s talk of putting in a requirement that you have to disclose your use of AI, which is not a bad idea,” deputy awards and features editor Jenelle Riley told Sky News.
She added: “We disclose everything: no animals were harmed on set, we list all of the artists who worked on a movie…as long as everyone is transparent and it’s ok with the actors and everyone involved then AI can be a really useful tool.”
Read more from Sky News:
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For Hollywood A-listers, having a cloned voice double could become as common as having a stunt double, an AI expert has told Sky News.
From visual effects to script analysis, AI is already being used within the industry.
While that might be scary for some, those who are working with AI argue it needs to be seen as a collaborator, not a competitor, in the creative process.
As Skarnulyte explained: “This is where we need to define the relationship between the tech and the creative industries.
“AI is already here and now it’s just a matter of time – we either take it into our hands and we control it, or it will control us.”
Entertainment
Matthew Perry’s parents say doctor is ‘among most culpable of all’ ahead of first sentencing over star’s death
Matthew Perry’s parents have criticised the “jackals” involved in dealing drugs to the star – and accused a doctor of being “among the most culpable of all” ahead of his sentencing today.
Emotional victim impact statements by Perry‘s mother Suzanne and stepfather Keith Morrison, and father John and stepmother Debbie, have been submitted to the US district court for Central California ahead of Salvador Plasencia’s hearing.
They say “no one alive and in touch with the world” could have been unaware of the Friends star’s struggles with addiction, and that the doctor broke his vows “repeatedly” to “feed on the vulnerability of our son”.
Plasencia, 44, is the first of five people to be sentenced in connection with the 54-year-old’s death, and has pleaded guilty to illegally selling him large amounts of ketamine. He is not accused of selling the dose that killed the actor, but had been supplying the drug to him in the weeks beforehand.
Salvador Plasencia appeared in court to change his plea to guilty earlier this year. Pic: Reuters/Mike Blake
Perry was found in his hot tub by his assistant in October 2023. A medical examiner later ruled that ketamine and other factors had caused him to lose consciousness and drown.
In their letter filed to the court, Suzanne and Keith Morrison share their grief, saying they feel a “confusion of emotions”.
Anger “seethes away down deep, whether you want it to or not”, they say, detailing how they play out “unalterable events, over and over and over” in their minds, “as if it could make any difference now”.
They also write about the impact Perry’s death has had on others, saying they often find Friends mementos, as well as flowers and notes and other tributes, left at his grave.
The star’s story “moved so many people”, they add. “And he wanted, needed, deserved a third act. It was in the planning. And then, those jackals.”
Perry was best known for playing Chandler Bing in Friends. Pic: Everett/ Shutterstock
‘This doctor conspired to break his most important vows’
Saying they find Plasencia’s actions “truly hard to understand”, they tell the judge: “I believe the man you are going to sentence today is among the most culpable of all…
“Why become a doctor? To cure the sick of course. To heal people. To save lives.”
Crimes can be easier to understand in some circumstances, they say. “Maybe in the heat of passion, or because that person makes one very bad decision… Or some drug dealer, bad to the bone, who takes the calculated risk of getting caught and spending many years in prison.
“But… a doctor? Who trades on respect, and trust? And not just one bad decision. No one alive and in touch with the world at all could have been unaware of Matthew’s struggles.
“But this doctor conspired to break his most important vows, repeatedly, sneaked through the night to meet his victim in secret. For what, a few thousand dollars? So he could feed on the vulnerability of our son.”
Read more:
The drug network exposed by Perry’s death
Obituary: The one who made everyone laugh
Matthew Perry: A life in pictures
Pic: Reuters
‘You don’t deserve to hear our feelings’
Addressing Plasencia directly in their statement, John and Debbie Perry say: “You don’t deserve to hear our feelings. How you devastated our family contributing to the loss of Matthew, our only son.”
They describe Perry as a “warm, loving man” and say his recovery counted on Plasencia “saying NO”.
Their letter continues: “Your motives? I can’t imagine. A doctor whose life is devoted to helping people?
“How long did you possibly see supplying Matthew countless doses without his death to eventually follow? Did you care? Did you think?”
Prosecutors are asking Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett to sentence Plasencia to three years in prison.
John and Debbie Perry have asked the court to extend the sentence beyond the mandatory period.
Ahead of sentencing, Plasencia’s lawyers have described him as a man who rose out of poverty to become a doctor beloved by his patients, and say his selling to Perry was “reckless” and “the biggest mistake of his life”.
In their sentencing memo, they say “remorse cannot begin to capture the pain, regret and shame that Mr Plasencia feels for the tragedy that unfolded and that he failed to prevent”.
However, they say Plasencia has already lost his medical licence and career, and a prison sentence is “neither necessary nor warranted”.
The other four people charged in connection with Perry’s death have also accepted plea deals and are due to be sentenced over the next few months.
They are: dealer Jasveen Sangha, also known as “the Ketamine Queen”, Perry’s assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, another doctor, Mark Chavez, and Erik Fleming, an associate of the actor.
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