TLDR: Voice actors across Europe, particularly in France and Germany, are actively pushing back against the increasing use of AI in the dubbing industry. Concerns center on job security, the potential for AI to diminish the emotional nuance of performances, and the ethical implications of using artists’ voices without explicit consent or fair compensation. Initiatives like TouchePasMaVF and the VDS voice actors’ association are advocating for stricter regulations and transparent labeling of AI-generated content.
The dubbing industry is currently facing a significant challenge as artificial intelligence (AI) technology advances, leading to widespread concern among voice actors in Europe. On August 1, 2025, reports from Paris and Berlin highlighted the growing pushback from these professionals who fear for their livelihoods and the quality of their craft.
Boris Rehlinger, the renowned French voice of actors like Ben Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix, is at the forefront of this movement. He expressed feeling “threatened even though my voice hasn’t been replaced by AI yet.” Rehlinger is a key figure in TouchePasMaVF, a French initiative dedicated to safeguarding human-created dubbing from AI. This collective firmly believes that AI should not supplant the human element in creative work solely for profit, arguing that algorithms, despite their sophistication, can only produce “simulacra” and risk reinforcing discriminatory biases present in their training data.
In Germany, the sentiment is similar, with 12 prominent dubbing actors gaining significant traction on TikTok in March, their campaign “Let’s protect artistic, not artificial, intelligence” garnering 8.7 million views. The VDS voice actors’ association has launched a petition urging German and EU lawmakers to mandate explicit consent and fair compensation for artists whose voices are used to train AI. They also demand transparent labeling of AI-generated content. This petition has already amassed over 75,500 signatures. The VDS collaborates with United Voice Artists, a global network representing more than 20,000 voice actors, all advocating for ethical AI use and equitable contracts.
The rise of global streaming platforms, such as Netflix, has amplified the demand for dubbed content, with consumer research firm GWI indicating that 43 percent of viewers in Germany, France, Italy, and Britain prefer dubbed content over subtitles. This increased demand, coupled with the improving quality and decreasing cost of AI-generated voices, has intensified the pressure on human voice actors. The market for AI voice generation is projected to grow substantially, from an estimated $4.3 billion (€3.6 million) in 2025 to $7.6 billion (€8.8 million) by 2033, according to Business Research Insights.
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Industry professionals emphasize that AI voices currently lack the emotional nuance and depth that human actors bring to performances. Concerns also extend to the use of copyrighted material and artists’ back catalogues for AI training without proper authorization. While some believe AI will reshape rather than entirely replace human voice work, the prevailing fear, as articulated by Eberhard Weckerle, managing director of Neue Tonfilm Muenchen studio, is that AI will be used to cut costs, leading to a decline in quality that audiences might eventually accept. This, he warns, would be “the worst thing that could happen.” Boris Rehlinger insists on the necessity of legislation, likening it to the “highway code” needed after the invention of the car replaced horse-drawn carriages.
