The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is proceeding with its plan to produce a voiceover using artificial intelligence in an upcoming documentary.
The British broadcasting company had appointed singer Sara Boyzer to perform the background voice for a documentary film about an undisclosed famous personality. Boyzer, known for her role in the musical “Mamma Mia!” and previously featured by BBC in 2019 for two roles in the podcast “Doctor Who: Legacy of Time,” received an email regarding this recent project stating: “We have obtained BBC’s approval to use AI-generated voice, so we no longer need Sara,” which she shared on her social media.
In response to this project rejection, Boyzer described the situation as “balanced” and included a nod in her comment to both BBC and the British actors’ union.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) stated in a communication to Boyzer, confirming that they would continue implementing artificial intelligence in the project:
“We are working on a highly sensitive documentary, involving a participant approaching the end of his life and now unable to speak. We have closely collaborated with his family to find the best way to represent the participant’s voice at the end of the film when his written words are read,” as mentioned in the statement. “Given these very special circumstances and considering the family’s wishes, we agreed to use AI in a short part of the film to recreate an inaudible voice. This will be clearly explained within the film.”
“Equity,” a warning signal against the use of AI in artistic fields, was launched within a campaign that started in April 2022. The union has not yet directly addressed the issue of artificial intelligence in any agreements with studios. It is worth mentioning that the United Kingdom does not have any laws prohibiting this technology.
In response, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) issued a statement on artificial intelligence on the same day Boyzer posted her blog. The American union successfully reached protection agreements with Amazon/MGM, Apple, NBCUniversal, Disney/ABC/Fox, Netflix, Paramount/CBS, Sony, and Warner Bros. These agreements require its members’ approval for any use of their images before implementing AI technologies.
“In our view, companies building AI models should do so only with consent, and with fair compensation to creators for their work,” as stated by Duncan Craptry-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator. “If that does not happen, I believe we will have another discussion about whether this should be addressed through new laws or other means.”
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) had previously released documentaries about Dolly Parton, Carol King, and Lizzo, and has an upcoming documentary about Kurt Cobain. The release date for this latter documentary has not been announced by the corporation.
