Is artificial intelligence going to destroy the SDH [subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing] industry? It’s a valid question because, while SDH is the default subtitle format on most platforms, the humans behind it – as with all creative industries – are being increasingly devalued in the age of AI. “SDH is an art, and people in the industry have no idea. They think it’s just a transcription,” says Max Deryagin, chair of Subtle, a non-profit association of freelance subtitlers and translators.
The thinking is that AI should simplify the process of creating subtitles, but that is way off the mark, says Subtle committee member Meredith Cannella. “There’s an assumption that we now have to do less work because of AI tools. But I’ve been doing this now for about 14-15 years, and there hasn’t been much of a difference in how long it takes me to complete projects over the last five or six years.”
