Netflix, AI and dubbing artists – a profession on the brink

Luca Fontana

5.2.2026

Translation: Veronica Bielawski

German dubbing professionals are taking on Netflix. They lend their voices to Hollywood stars and are now rallying against AI replacement. But do they stand a chance at all?

Since January, tensions have been simmering in Germany’s dubbing industry. Numerous voice actors are boycotting Netflix in protest of a new AI clause (article in German) that allows the streaming service to use their voices free of charge to train artificial intelligence.

Those affected see this as a threat not only to their rights, but also to their income and the future of their profession. In an attempt to stamp out the new regulation, they’re ramping up the pressure and refusing to cooperate. If no agreement is reached, certain Netflix originals could soon be released with no German audio track.

And yet, this remains a quiet labour dispute that appears to have little chance of success.

The AI clause: what it means – and what it doesn’t

The clause stipulates that voices recorded in dubbing sessions may be used in the future to train AI systems without any additional remuneration. Patrick Winczewski, the German voice of Tom Cruise and Hugh Grant, is appalled. An article in the Nordbayern newspaper quotes him saying, «It’s entirely possible that we won’t be paid for any income generated by our voices.»

Taking a closer look at the contract, it seems unlikely that Winczewski is catastrophising. Sure, at the moment the new clause refers only to training, not to the actual use of artificially generated voices. But the long-term consequences for the dubbing business could be devastating.

There’s also criticism of how consent for free AI training is being obtained. Namely, anyone who refuses the clause will no longer be cast. Full stop. And so, in practice it’s already a contractual requirement – any consent given can’t be viewed as genuine. This is precisely why many in the industry are terming it a «take-it-or-leave-it» clause (linked article in German). According to the current state of affairs, Netflix is the only major studio pushing this decision onto dubbing artists.

Many see the biggest risk not in the short-term loss of individual jobs, but in the long-term erosion of their rights; once an AI model is trained on real voices, a synthetic version can be generated – whether or not it resembles any real voice.

Even without deliberate imitation, AI could, on the basis of many high-quality samples, become the «perfect» voice itself – affecting everyone, yet not violating a single personality right.

And that right there is the crux of the matter.

What does the law say?

The use of artificially generated voices isn’t an entirely unregulated legal field. In Germany, the voice is considered part of an individual’s personality rights. It may therefore not be reproduced, imitated or exploited without consent, regardless of the purpose.

A landmark ruling (link in German) on this was handed down by Berlin’s regional court in August 2025. A YouTuber had used an AI-generated voice for a satirical advertising campaign that sounded confusingly similar to that of Manfred Lehmann, the German voice of Bruce Willis. Because the audience was given the impression that Lehmann himself had spoken or had consented to the use of his voice, the court ruled that this constituted a clear infringement of Lehmann’s personality rights.

This is exactly the danger with Netflix’s clause: a one-off, blanket consent can effectively undermine this protection. Critics warn that anyone who signs may ultimately lose control over their own voice.

How are dubbing artists responding?

The response to Netflix’s move was swift and unequivocal. Since early January, numerous German dubbing artists have refused to work for the streaming service. Ongoing productions have been put on hold, and many high-profile voices have withdrawn from current projects. Among them is Magdalena Montasser, the German voice of Jenna Ortega in Wednesday, who explained her decision in a TikTok video.

In other words, Netflix originals with no German dub could soon become reality. Either that, or well-known voices could simply be replaced with those of non-unionised actors – which is what happened in the new animated series Stranger Things: Tales from ’85. Hopper, played by David Harbour, is no longer being dubbed by Peter Flechtner.

The VDS, or German dubbing actors’ union, supports the boycott (link in German), warning that the new AI clause would set a dangerous precedent. «We are creators of art, not sources of data,» the association states.

It makes clear that no one should be forced to use their own voice to promote a technology that puts the profession at risk in the long term. The union’s demand? Anyone who doesn’t consent to the use of their voice for AI training must not suffer any professional disadvantages as a result. Parallel to the boycott measures, a petition has been running online for months under the slogan «Art before AI» (link in German). It’s a plea by dubbing artists to the Federal Chancellery and the Ministry of Culture to better protect creative rights in AI applications.

How is Netflix responding to the boycott?

Netflix claims to be surprised by the intensity of the backlash. In a letter to the Bavarian broadcaster, «Bayerischer Rundfunk», Netflix states that it does not plan to automate voices without explicit consent. It also states that before any such consideration, it would be discussed in advance; a corresponding framework agreement including special protection rules (in German) for dubbing artists had previously been negotiated with the German actors’ union (BFFS).

This has also been confirmed by Till Völger, a board member of the BFFS. Völger strikes a sober tone: «We can’t stop the wheel from turning.» What matters, he says, is that control over one’s voice remains with the individual and that Netflix has assured it will refrain from fully automated dubbing. In fact, the dubbing directors’ union (BDS) has also sided with Netflix, after apparently judging that there are sufficient safeguards in place.

At least for now.

The question of why Netflix wants to enforce general consent for free AI training – despite pledging to avoid fully automated dubbing – remains unanswered.

What happens next?

While the BFFS is congratulating itself, the VDS says the protective rules don’t go far enough. It fears the new clause is still sawing away at the branch the voices sit on. Positions are entrenched, but media reports suggest further rounds of negotiations are expected in the coming weeks. The dubbing artists have made their demands clear: the clause must be softened, consent must be voluntary and any use of AI must be fairly remunerated.

Pressure is mounting on both sides. A long-term dubbing gap in the German-speaking market could prove costly for Netflix. In light of this, it seems more likely that a compromise will be found rather than no solution at all.

Art before AI: is the fight even worth it?

Either way, uncertainty has long prevailed within the industry. After all, regardless of whether it’s still possible to work with traditional dubbing artists, Netflix could decide it simply no longer wants to. You don’t need to be clairvoyant to guess where AI training is headed.

Technically speaking, the profession could already be replaced entirely by AI – although the result would be imperfect (thankfully) and highly unpopular with audiences. AI systems such as DeepSpeak have been waiting in the wings at Netflix since May 2025. They analyse the tone, pace and articulation of the original actor, translate in real time and generate lip-synchronised synthetic voices that sound uncannily like the original.

It’s likely only a matter of time before Michael Caine, Matthew McConaughey and others can be made to perform at the press of a button – in any language. And who’d need dubbing artists then?

It doesn’t end there. While those involved in dubbing fight for their voices, the next stage has already been reached elsewhere – one of AI actors, AI YouTubers and AI influencers, and an audience that’s increasingly unable to tell what’s real.

Humanity is simulating itself

Take Tilly Norwood, the first fully AI-generated actress with an agency contract. She exists only as an algorithm, yet has reportedly already received role offers. Every day, new faces appear that look like real people and speak like real people – but are not actually real people. Comment sections are increasingly dominated by the question, «Is this AI or real?»

Uncertainty has long since become the norm. No wonder: so-called AI slop – mass-produced, AI-generated videos from hell – is flooding platforms such as Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

Even legendary director Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream) is now producing pseudo-documentary history videos that feel like an early-evening TV documentary dreamt up by an algorithm. At least Aronofsky only uses AI for the images. The voices reportedly come from real voice actors.

The comment section’s criticism is fierce. Yet the short videos are garnering clicks regardless. As images, videos and voices are increasingly generated by machines, texts are coming under pressure too. AI-generated articles, comments, books and news items are filling feeds and online shops. They’re often cheaply produced and rarely clearly labelled. And so, it’s increasingly unclear whether what you’re reading was written by a human or not.

What began as a labour dispute could turn out to be a technological turning point. AI is here to stay. The real question is this: can its use still be regulated, or has it already slipped out of our control?

Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.

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