Just days before France’s version of the Oscars, thousands of French actors and filmmakers have warned that AI tools are “plundering” talent across the industry.
“We are facing a profound upheaval in our profession with the arrival of artificial intelligence,” said the op-ed in Le Parisien, which was signed by some 4,000 artists.
The petition stated that the industry has already been struggling with unauthorized voice cloning, image scraping and undervalued AI licensing deals for some time.
Signatories included many French movie stars, such as Berenice Bejo, Léa Drucker, Swann Arlaud, José Garcia, Karin Viard, Franck Dubosc and Elodie Bouchez.
The op-ed, released ahead of the 51st edition of the French film industry’s Cesar Awards, warned of the rise of “unauthorized voice cloning,” which has taken the industry by storm.
“This tool, extraordinarily valuable for certain professions, is also a devouring hydra for the artists that we are,” the op-ed said, adding that “Not a week goes by without an artist sounding the alarm over the brutal competition AI is inflicting on their work.”
It stated that just recently, “an actor was offered a contract to use his image by AI for the creation of a new commercial for a major French group, simply replacing two days of filming. A Faustian pact... paid 250 euros!”
The op-ed also pointed to the hundreds of lesser-established actors, often lacking leverage, and who feel pressured to sign contracts granting AI rights, “despite the risks to their image and their future.”
As such, French actors said they demand “guarantees that no artist will be forced to give up their digital identity.”
“This organized plundering is not hypothetical — it’s happening here and now. It’s intolerable, and it’s taking place before our very eyes.” The artists called for a clear “legal framework” so that AI can “coexist with artistic work, with the protection of copyright and related rights.”
In recent months, the industry has introduced various initiatives to tackle the threat posed by AI and the flood of content replicating artists and their voices almost perfectly.
In January, eight French voice actors sent formal notices to two US companies that had cloned their voices without consent. Actors have also taken to the streets of Paris under the slogan “Touche pas à ma VF” (Hands off my French dub).
The debate goes far beyond France. Last week, Hollywood heavyweights accused the Chinese software Seedance 2.0, built by TikTok owner ByteDance, of copyright infringement after AI-generated videos, including of Tom Cruise brawling with Brad Pitt, went viral.
