Amazon Prime announced this week that it is testing a new AI process for translating foreign languages for closed captioning in its programming.
The initiative, designed to “make its vast streaming library accessible to even more customers,” targets dubbing on licensed movies and series that would not have been dubbed otherwise, the company said. Starting this week, AI-aided dubbing in English and Latin American Spanish will be available initially on 12 licensed movies and series, including titles such as El Cid: La Leyenda, Mi Mamá Lora, and Long Lost.
The AI-aided pilot program will take a hybrid approach to dubbing in which localization professionals collaborate with AI to ensure quality control. “AI-aided processes like this one, which incorporate the right amount of human expertise, can enable localization for titles that would not otherwise be accessible to customers,” the company said in its blog.
“At Prime Video, we believe in improving customers’ experience with practical and useful AI innovation,” said Raf Soltanovich, VP of technology at Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. “AI-aided dubbing is only available on titles that do not have dubbing support, and we are eager to explore a new way to make series and movies more accessible and enjoyable.”
Using AI to translate closed captions has become among the most popular uses of AI in media production; Microsoft announced an AI-powered translator for closed captioning on its Edge browser last year and the Sinclair Broadcast Group just announced last month that it is testing AI translated subtitling in real time.
It’s also being tested on NextGen TV as well. Public Media Venture Group (PMVG) announced in December that it is now providing real-time translation of closed captioning from English to Spanish on PMVG’s NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) test bed station in Cookeville, Tennessee.