Guillaume Erner, you whose voice, broadcasted every morning on the airwaves, has become the emblem of France Culture, imagine that one fine day, you hear your very distinctive tone utter words you never said… Worrying, isn’t it?
This is what happened to Françoise Cadol, the French voice behind the character in the video game Lara Croft. She discovered that her voice was featured in the compilation of Tomb Raider 4 & 6 without her knowledge. The superpowers of AI strike again!
Some filmmakers are enthusiastic about using AI in film productions, such as director and producer Sarah Lelouch, co-organizer of the World AI Film Festival. It is true that the use of AI greatly reduces costs and brings flexibility to dubbing arrangements as they would no longer be subject to actor availability. Speed guaranteed!
The stakes are high: in contrast to our Scandinavian neighbors who prefer original versions with subtitles, we in France love French dubbing. 85% of French people watch foreign films exclusively in French.
With just a few minutes of vocal samples, generative AIs can reproduce the voice of any living or deceased voice actor… Impressive, right!
In fact, the company that produced the trailer for the movie “Armor,” released in 2024, attempted this feat. The lead actor is Sylvester Stallone, whose iconic French voice belongs to Alain Dorval. The clone of his voice left Dorval’s daughter, Minister Aurore Bergé, in a state of shock upon discovering it by chance in the trailer.
Dark sides to AI also exist. According to industry unions, over 15,000 jobs could be at risk. In January 2026, eight French actors filed a complaint against two American companies and demanded the removal of all voice cloning models using their voices. This movement is supported by the collective “TouchePasMaVF,” which launched a petition for “dubbing by humans for humans.” Fans of Tomb Raider quickly noticed the difference between the voice of the official Lara Croft voice actress and the one produced by an AI.
Thus, sensitivity and emotion are not yet part of AI’s advantages. The talent of actors remains irreplaceable to this day!
