Actress Sarah Poyser, who starred in a production of the musical “Mamma Mia!”, claims she was told her voice will be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI) in the dub of the upcoming BBC production, The Guardian reports, citing. from News.ro.

The actress’ social media posts appear to show a screenshot of an email sent by a production company working for the BBC in response to her inquiries about a voiceover she was due to do.

“We apologize for the delay,” the message reads. “We’ve got approval from the BBC to use an AI-generated voice, so we won’t need Sarah anymore.” Poyser wrote: “Depressing.”

The post has been viewed more than 2 million times on “X,” the former Twitter network, prompting an almost exclusively critical response, including a series of highly offensive responses from the likes of actor Chris Addison.

“It’s time for British actors and creators to draw a line in the sand,” commented the actor from game of Thrones, Miltos Jerolemu. “Like our American brothers and sisters, it’s time to face this situation,” he said of the double whammy that paralyzed Hollywood last year.

Among other things, American actors and screenwriters demanded guarantees that their jobs would not be replaced by AI

The deputy chairman of Directors UK made a shocking prediction

Comedian and podcast host No one panics, Stevie Martin, in turn, stated that “most of my income comes from dubbing. Without her, I would have had to choose another career because of the money.”

The use of artificial intelligence in TV shows is on the rise, with the vice-chairman of Directors UK recently telling MPs in London that he expects shows to be entirely powered by AI “within three to five years”.

Directors UK is the premier organization of UK audiovisual directors, with over 8,000 members.

Poyser declined to comment on the situation, but her agency, Voice Squad, said:

“We were very disappointed to hear back from the production company, especially as this is a BBC project.”

“The BBC has always championed the quality of its factual and drama programmes. As a voiceover agency, we believe that AI poses a threat to the entire industry: taking away the jobs of artists who have spent three years in theater school and spent many years honing their craft. Voiceover artists are particularly skilled actors who deserve to have their work not devalued.”

How the BBC explains its use of AI for Posier’s voice

After the scandal, the BBC published a commentary saying that there were very specific circumstances that led to Poyser’s replacement. A spokesman said:

“We are making an extremely sensitive documentary about a collaborator who is nearing the end of his life and who can no longer speak. We worked closely with his family to explore how best to recreate the co-writer’s voice at the end of the film when the words he wrote are read.”

“In these very special circumstances and in consideration of the family’s wishes, we have agreed to use artificial intelligence for a short piece to recreate a voice that can no longer be heard. This will be clearly stated in the film,” the BBC representative added.

In recent days, the use of artificial intelligence has sparked new controversy at the BBC. The broadcaster was forced to announce last week that it would no longer use AI-generated marketing material to promote Doctor Who after several fans complained about it.

“We followed all the BBC’s editorial processes and the final text was checked and signed off by a member of the marketing team before it was sent,” the BBC said at the time. “We don’t plan to do it again for promotion A doctor who“.

On Tuesday, Tim Davy, director general of the BBC, laid out some principles for the use of AI in the corporation.

“Never yield to human creative control, support rights holders and adhere to our editorial standards, but proactively launch tools to help us create relevance,” the BBC chief said, among other things.