Marie Gicquel / Photo credits: JOEL SAGET / AFP
Artificial intelligence intrigues and fascinates as much as it frightens. Brigitte Lecordier, one of the greatest French voice actresses for over 35 years, sees AI as a threat to her profession. Today, it is mobilizing to safeguard the know-how of artists. A “don’t touch my VF” petition has also gathered more than 25,000 signatures.
You know his voice. Behind those of Oui-oui, Dragon Ball… hides that of Brigitte Lecordier, one of the greatest French voice actresses. For more than 35 years, she has played an impressive range of characters, from Japanese anime to cinema. A voice that also counts for the preservation of this shadowy profession, threatened by artificial intelligence which can today create dubbing generated by a machine in no time.
“There will never be the game” of the actor
“…Magic cloud!” Recognizable by her childish voice, from Nicolas in “Bonne nuit les petits” to San Goku in “Dragon Ball Z”, Brigitte Lecordier, now 62 years old, has brought to life in French mythical characters from the small and big screen. “People who cannot read to the blind or to the elderly. Our job is extremely important,” praises the actress. A necessary profession, threatened by artificial intelligence.
“On dubbing, we can take my voice and make it say what we want and make it speak in all languages. Afterwards, there will never be the game. AI must not be able to replace a being human and even less an artist,” she worries. An uncontrollable AI capable of imitating Brigitte Lecordier: “There are people who had fun making me say stupid things or sing theme songs that I didn’t sing, etc.,” she continues.
The voice actress uses her voice today for a new mission: to safeguard her profession, which is impossible to reproduce by a machine. “I am a bit of a spokesperson for the Les Voix association, which is fighting for there to be a law or regulation regarding AI concerning artists,” explains Brigitte Lecordier. A “don’t touch my VF” petition launched by the Les Voix association, which brings together French dubbers, in support of this shadowy profession has already gathered more than 25,000 signatures.