Kartoon Studios Strikes First Deal With AI Dubbing Platform

EXCLUSIVE: Kartoon Studios has struck its first deal with an AI dubbing platform.

The Stan Lee brand owner has tied with Israeli outfit Deepdub on the partnership, which comes as AI dubbing becomes a more established part of the landscape.

The deal will see localized content such as Shaq’s Garage Artwork from the Kartoon Channe!, an international FAST network, dubbed into Castilian Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Arabic and Italian. Deepdub uses emotion-based text-to-speech technology to rapidly dub content while trying to stay true to the emotional intent and cultural nuances of the original, it says.

Demand for AI dubbing has grown rapidly of late. Deepdub says it saw a 120% increase in titles in Q1 2024 versus the same period in 2023, following its decision to diversify its portfolio to also include FAST channels, reality TV  and other content.

Paul Robinson, President of Kartoon Channel! Worldwide at Kartoon Studios, said: “The advanced AI-based technology Deepdub brings to us will showcase our extensive library of safe, family-friendly content to a broader audience.”

Deepdub CEO Ofir Krakowski added: “This agreement is highly significant for us, aligning perfectly with our strategic goals of serving FAST clients and demonstrating our capability to handle large-scale localization projects – both in addition to our ongoing work on major film projects and premium content for the Hollywood studios.”

Speaking to Deadline several months ago, Jesse Shemen, who runs another AI dubbing outfit, Papercup, said U.S. studios are aware of the dangers behind “making a wholesale shift to AI.” Deepdub itself advocates for fair trade, including no cloning without permission, and has established a royalty program for voiceover artists.