Across All Sectors: AI in Games, Dubbing, Ads and Animation, with voice and screen actor, David Menkin

AI isn’t hitting every corner of the voice industry in the same way, or at the same speed. David Menkin is a London-based actor and voiceover artist whose credits include Lego Star Wars, Final Fantasy XVI and Pragmata. In this episode he takes us sector by sector through commercials, dubbing and localisation, animation and games, and explains where synthetic voices are already replacing human performers and why. David shares his view on how corporate and medical voiceover have been hit hardest, on how short-form ads are the easiest to replace with synthetic speech, and how dubbing is under pressure from the sheer volume of content being produced. He also looks at how Italy has used contracts and transparency measures to limit AI training. David considers the real harm caused when voices are gathered and cloned without permission, and talks us through his advocacy for UK protections that go beyond the 1988 copyright law, including a “transformative right” over your voice and likeness. He discusses the red flags he spotted in an AI games casting call and shares what he’s learned about due diligence, agents and contract negotiation. He closes with his three Cs: consent, control and compensation. What we cover How AI disruption differs across commercials, dubbing and localisation, animation and games Why corporate and medical voiceover have been hit hardest, and why short-form ads are easiest to replace The volume pressures driving AI in dubbing, and how Italy is using contracts and transparency to limit AI training The harm caused by unauthorised voice aggregation and cloning Why UK protections need updating beyond the 1988 copyright law, and the case for a “transformative right” over voice and likeness Red flags in an AI games casting call, plus due diligence, working with agents and negotiating contracts Why this matters beyond performers, and David’s three Cs: consent, control and compensation Chapters 00:00 Season Four Kickoff 01:21 Meet David Menkin 01:43 From Stage to VO 02:54 Pragmata and Activism 04:00 Which Sectors Got Hit 06:24 Dubbing and Localisation 08:20 Commercials Under Pressure 10:58 Why He Became an Advocate 14:25 BRAVA Sponsor Break 15:26 AI Casting Call Red Flags 19:00 Due Diligence and Agents 21:56 Contract Negotiation Lessons 24:59 Beyond Performers to Everyone 30:59 Hope and the Three Cs 35:41 Wrap Up and Next Episode Explore the companion notes here... Links & Resources David Menkin David Menkin: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0579696/ David Menkin - Hatch Unions, associations and campaigns Equity AI toolkit and template contract: Understanding AI | Equity (see also Episode 2, Cloned Without Consent, with voice actor Faye Dicker and Equity’s Shannon Sailing: https://www.brava.uk.com/podcast/episode/1bb455dd/cloned-without-consent-with-voice-actor-faye-dicker-and-equitys-shannon-sailing) Previous episode Episode 3, UK AI Law and How to Protect Your Voice, with Dr Mathilde Pavis: https://www.brava.uk.com/podcast/episode/2415dd5e/uk-ai-law-and-how-to-protect-your-voice-with-dr-mathilde-pavis BRAVA https://www.brava.uk.com/ Sign up to the BRAVA newsletter https://www.brava.uk.com/subscribe This is Season 4 of HIGH NOTES. Where every conversation is a performance. **This episode is for general information and isn’t legal advice. For your own situation, speak to a lawyer, your agent or your union.** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.