Anime fans have long expressed their disdain fоr artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content. For instance, Netflix Japan’s anime film ‘The Dog and The Boy’ (2023) faced severe backlash from audiences when it was found that AI-created art was used in some scenes. Another instance is an Anime series entirely developed by AI, released by an LA-based studio, that was largely criticized by fans.
Crunchyroll, the major English-language distributor of anime films and TV series, has now suggested that AI-generated subtitles could be a potential solution for them. In an interview with The Verge, Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini hinted at their interest in using AI in different aspects of their work, particularly in subtitling and closed captioning.
Purini’s comments come in the context of Crunchyroll’s planned merger with Funimation, a prominent anime licensing and distribution firm, and ongoing issues with piracy in the field. Piracy websites often release anime episodes faster and for free with subtitles, pushing companies like Crunchyroll to consider speedy solutions like AI-generated subtitles.
However, the idea of using AI for subtitles has already faced controversies – Anime fans speculated that the subtitles for the pilot episode of ‘The Yuzuki Family’s Four Sons’ had been generated by AI. Following criticism online, Crunchyroll had to remove the subtitles for the episode. The major issue argued by critics is if an AI system could indeed accurately capture the intricacies of the Japanese language in their translations.
This new stance from Crunchyroll on AI-generated subtitles has met with negative reactions. A UX developer criticized Purini’s views as ‘baffling’, hinting that the real reason behind the interest in AI translation is financial, sacrificing quality. Others, including an anime fan, threatened to cancel their subscription if Crunchyroll opts for AI-generated subtitles.
With the discussion still ongoing, the real question is whether AI can truly replace human translation without sacrificing the essence of the content; only time will tell.
