getty
Actress Sarah Poyser. Mamma Mia! After years of performing on the musical stage, she has been told she doesn't need to appear on the BBC show because it has been replaced by artificial intelligence.
Poyser posted a screenshot of the email in which the news was distributed on his social media accounts. She captioned her post “solemn” and tagged the BBC.
“Sorry for the delay. We have received approval from the BBC to use AI-generated voices and Sarah is no longer needed,” the email sent by the production company producing the BBC show said.
Poyser did not reveal the nature of the production in which she chose to use AI, but given that she represents an audio agency, it could be an audio show. Poyser did not respond to requests for comment.
Her Twitter (now X) post went viral, generating nearly 2 million views and sparking debate about artificial intelligence taking jobs away from actors. She responded to several messages, which she said were “grisly” and “appropriate.”
Comedian Stevie Martin commented: “Most of my income comes from voice-overs. Without it, I would have had to take the money and choose another career. When I see this, I want to explode.”
The 98% Podcast, which provides the voices of bottom actors, said: “This is incredibly infuriating and upsetting, and we should all be up in arms about this. For Sarah, for ourselves as creators.'' and for the industry. This is the beginning of a very slippery slope.”
Miltos Jerolemou is the actor who played Syrio Forel in the film. game of thrones, further added: “I think it's time for British actors and creators to draw a line in the sand. Like our American brothers and sisters, it's time to resist this.”
Poyzer, screen credits include eastenders, tagged “Equities” in the social media post. The union has launched a campaign to amend the law in 2022 and “stop AI from stealing the conversation.”
AI will be a key discussion point this year as Equity renews its collective agreement with UK producer trade group Pact. Deadline revealed in September last year that AI clauses were the focus of ITV's stake and negotiations for soap actors. coronation street.
Poyser's dubbing agency, The Voice Squad, said: “We were extremely disappointed to receive the production company's response, especially as this is a BBC project.
“The BBC has always focused on facts and the quality of its broadcasts of drama. As a voiceover agency, we feel that AI is a danger to the industry as a whole. We trained for three years at drama school and over the years we have It is about taking away the work of artists who have honed their craft. Voice actors are particularly skilled actors, and the value of their work should not be diminished.”
Deadline has contacted the BBC for comment.
The company has made a number of announcements regarding AI in recent days. Late last week, the broadcaster announced it would stop using AI. Doctor Who Promoted after receiving complaints from viewers.
On Tuesday, BBC Director-General Tim Davie named several of the company's AI chiefs. That includes “never compromising human creative control, supporting rights holders and upholding editorial standards, as well as proactively launching tools that help build relevance.” .”