Amazon has released its first animes where the characters are not voiced by real people. This received so much backlash from anime fans that the company is now backtracking.
What is the problem? Amazon used artificial intelligence in several animes to dub the Japanese original into other languages. This included Banana Fish and No Game No Life: Zero, as well as Vinland Saga and Journal of Mysterious Creatures.
However, the AI voices were not well received by viewers. They sound emotionless and unconvincing. Unlike the Japanese original, where the voices have highs and lows, the AI translation felt like a jumble of monotonous voices.
Many viewers even preferred silence over this dubbing. The criticism from fans was so significant that Amazon has now responded.
Amazon responds to massive criticism
How is Amazon responding now? The company has removed the affected animes from its program. They can no longer be accessed with the AI translation, but are still available in the Japanese original audio.
The action is being carried out quietly, as there has not yet been any official statement from the company. Also, there is no explanation as to why the AI translation made its way to the streaming service in the first place.
What do fans say about this? They are over the moon. Most are excited about Threads and Reddit that the AI translation was removed from the program so quickly. Viewers hope this is a sign that in the future there won’t be such a heavy reliance on AI for dubbing.
However, some point out that the Spanish AI translation is still available. They are also unsure whether the decision came directly from Amazon or the rights holders in Japan.
In the gaming sector, more and more companies are also relying on AI. A new MMORPG is using the technology to bring its NPCs to life. You can take a closer look at the details here: Pretty MMORPG lets you have real conversations with NPCs thanks to AI, launches today for free on Steam
