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The Case of The Brutalist and the Future of Voice Cloning

AI in Film:

The Case of The Brutalist and the Future of Voice Cloning

he 2025 Academy Awards have brought a fresh wave of discussions around artificial intelligence (AI) in filmmaking. One of the most talked-about films, The Brutalist, directed by Brady Corbet, has not only garnered critical acclaim but also sparked debate over its use of AI voice cloning technology. This raises the question: Is AI simply a new tool in post-production, like VFX, or does it fundamentally alter the authenticity of a performance?

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AI and Voice Cloning in The Brutalist

To bring historical and cultural authenticity to the film, Corbet used AI-powered voice technology from Respeecher, a Ukrainian company specializing in voice cloning. The goal was to refine the Hungarian pronunciation of lead actors Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones—without replacing or altering their performances. This was done by adjusting specific vowels and consonants to make their accents more accurate, much like fine-tuning an audio mix in post-production.

Corbet emphasized that the AI modifications were subtle and did not fundamentally change the actors' delivery. He says, “Adrien and Felicity’s performances are completely their own.” This approach is similar to how VFX artists polish a scene’s visuals without changing the actors’ expressions or intent.

Is AI Just Another Post-Production Tool Like VFX?

AI-assisted voice work in The Brutalist highlights a parallel with visual effects (VFX), which have long been used in post-production to enhance films. Just as CGI can add background elements, de-age actors, or adjust lighting in a scene, AI can refine audio elements to better serve the story. Yet, despite these similarities, AI voice cloning feels different because it involves modifying the raw essence of an actor’s voice—arguably one of the most personal aspects of a performance.

This leads to some key questions:

  • Should AI voice enhancements be openly disclosed, just like VFX or digital de-ageing? Audiences are usually aware when CGI is used to create a fantasy setting or age an actor’s appearance, but AI voice cloning is much harder to detect. Should filmmakers be required to label AI-assisted performances in the credits?
  • Does AI voice cloning preserve or diminish an actor’s performance? Some might argue that adjusting an accent enhances authenticity without replacing the actor’s effort. Others could counter that even subtle AI modifications risk detaching the actor from their own role.
  • How far should AI voice cloning go? While using AI for pronunciation refinement is one thing, what happens when AI is used to completely change an actor’s voice or language? Could this lead to a future where actors are replaced altogether in dubbing or even primary performances?

 

AI as a Narrative Tool: Enhancing or Interfering?

The key justification for AI in The Brutalist is that it helps the audience stay immersed in the story. Had the actors delivered their lines with strong foreign accents or incorrect pronunciation, it might have disrupted the authenticity of their Hungarian characters. In this sense, AI serves the same function as traditional post-production editing—it helps tell the story more convincingly.

However, the growing reliance on AI in cinema could open a Pandora’s box. Today, it helps actors sound more authentic. Tomorrow, it could be used to completely replace their voices in multiple languages, eliminating the need for traditional dubbing. And eventually, we may reach a point where AI-generated performances blur the line between human and machine altogether.

The Future of AI in Film: Where Do We Draw the Line?

The key justification for AI in The Brutalist is that it helps the audience stay immersed in the story. Had the actors delivered their lines with strong foreign accents or incorrect pronunciation, it might have disrupted the authenticity of their Hungarian characters. In this sense, AI serves the same function as traditional post-production editing—it helps tell the story more convincingly.

However, the growing reliance on AI in cinema could open a Pandora’s box. Today, it helps actors sound more authentic.

AI is becoming as much a part of filmmaking as VFX and sound design, but the difference is that it manipulates elements audiences assume to be purely human—voice and performance. If used transparently and ethically, it could be a powerful tool for storytelling. But if left unchecked, it could change what we consider an “authentic” performance.

So, where do we draw the line? Should AI modifications be disclosed like VFX? Should it be limited to accent adjustments, or will it inevitably evolve into full voice replacements? As AI becomes more sophisticated, these questions will become increasingly urgent—not just for filmmakers, but for the entire film industry and its audiences.

Technology