AI vs. The Voice of Stallone: French Dubbers Fight to Protect Their Legacy

A heated debate over AI and voice dubbing is unfolding in Europe, sparked by an attempt to recreate the iconic French voice of Sylvester Stallone using artificial intelligence. This controversy has drawn attention to a growing concern among professional dubbers—the risk of AI replacing their jobs.

For over 50 years, French audiences associated Stallone’s deep, commanding voice with Alain Dorval, the actor who dubbed him in the ‘Rocky,’ ‘Rambo,’ ‘Creed,’ and ‘The Expendables’ franchises. But after Dorval’s passing in February 2024, a UK-based company called ElevenLabs announced plans to use AI to clone his voice for the French release of Stallone’s new heist thriller, ‘Armor,’ on Amazon France.

This move outraged Dorval’s daughter, Aurore Bergé, who is also France’s Minister for Gender Equality. She denied giving permission for the AI-generated voice to be used, admitting only to approving a test version.

“It definitely created an uproar,” said Jimmy Shuman, a representative of the French actors’ guild SFA. He noted that Dorval had been strongly against AI dubbing during his lifetime. “The planned use of Dorval’s voice struck us as a provocation because we are in the process of negotiating agreements on limits for artificial intelligence and dubbing.”

AI-generated voices threaten thousands of professional voice actors, especially in Europe, where dubbed films are a major part of the industry. Unlike in the U.S., where subtitles are common, countries like France, Italy, and Spain rely heavily on dubbing, making voice actors nearly as famous as the Hollywood stars they dub.

According to Business Research Insights, the global film dubbing market was valued at $4.04 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to over $7 billion by 2033. Streaming services like Netflix have also increased demand for dubbed content, making this industry more important than ever.

Italy, which ranks highest among countries where people prefer dubbing, is leading the fight against AI’s impact on voice actors. Daniele Giuliani, president of Italy’s national dubbers’ association, explained that they successfully introduced a contract clause that protects actors’ voices.

“When a voice actor is hired in Italy, their voice can only be used for that specific project,” Giuliani said. “If a company wants to use AI to clone their voice, they need a separate contract.”

Spain has taken a different approach. Instead of signing contracts with unclear AI policies, voice actors have refused to work with distributors who do not provide proper protections. “This has forced distributors to come down from the heights and talk to us,” said Spanish voice actor Sara Gómez Alonso.

Los Angeles-based voice actor Tim Friedlander, who leads the National Association of Voice Actors, sees the “Voice of Stallone” case as proof that performers have little control over their own voices. “This is a great example of our concerns over the lack of control that most of us currently have over our voice,” he said.

In response to the backlash, Amazon announced that Stallone’s role in ‘Armor’ would now be dubbed by Michel Vigné, a professional voice actor, instead of using AI. For now, the immediate threat of AI replacing film dubbers has been avoided.

But industry experts warn that this is just the beginning. “They are not quite there yet,” Shuman said about AI’s ability to fully replace human dubbers. “But soon, very soon, they will be able to do that.”

With AI technology advancing rapidly, voice actors are bracing for more battles ahead. One thing is clear—this fight is far from over.

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