Amazon has removed more AI English dubs from popular anime shows... and now the studios are speaking out.
Earlier this week, several viewers spotted something very curious hidden within the 'Audio Languages' options for the anime series Banana Fish and Pet, as well as the movie No Game, No Life Zero. One of the options included 'English [AI beta], which seemed to feature voices from entirely AI-generated actors.
As of Wednesday, all three AI dubs have been removed from Prime Video – with no English language option available as of December 1. A Latin American AI dub for The Vinland Saga, however, is still up and running. Anime News Network reached out to anime studios Aniplex, Kadokawa, and Sentai Filmworks, with Kadokawa stating that there was no approval of an AI dub "in any form." Sentai stated that the studio was "not aware in advance" of the AI dub and is currently "looking into it with Amazon."
Anime fans can rest assured, however, that anime streaming service Crunchyroll confirmed it won't be using any AI in the "creative process", including voice actors. It's been rumored that Netflix, which has become quite the streaming giant for anime in the past few years, is looking into using AI for various dubs... though nothing has been confirmed. This comes after controversy around the streaming giant using AI-generated background art in the anime short film, The Dog and the Boy.
For more, head to our guide on new anime, plus our picks for the best anime you should be watching right now.
