Artificial intelligence impacts audiovisual preservation and dubbing

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being utilized within the audiovisual sector, serving both as a tool for historical preservation and a controversial element in content localization.

In Spain, the Universitat Politécnica de Valencia has implemented the “Salvem les fotos” project to recover images damaged during the 2024 DANA floods in the Valencian Community. By combining physical conservation, digitization, and AI, the initiative has successfully restored 340,000 images. The project utilizes AI models for automatic detection and retouching to handle large volumes of damaged material that would otherwise be impossible to process manually.

Conversely, the use of AI in voice dubbing has faced significant public backlash. In February 2025, the Polish series “Murderesses” was removed from MagentaTV after viewers criticized its German AI-generated dubbing for being monotonous. Similarly, Prime Video Latin America faced criticism from anime fans regarding experimental AI dubs for titles such as “High School of the Dead,” “Banana Fish,” and “Vinland Saga.” Critics and voice actors have argued that these automated versions lack the emotional depth and identity provided by human performers.