Audio Description (AD) is a secondary audio track which provides access to visual elements of film and television primarily for the benefit of people who are blind or have low vision. When I teach AD at sessions around the world, I focus on the crafting of the language used–and most AD is written to be heard. Description writers and voice talents trained in AD best practices are critical to the success of the effort to translate a visual image to the spoken word.

We are on the cusp of AI dominance in all manner of endeavor. Speech synthesis is already employed by some companies prodcuing AD for broadcast television. But the writing of AD is dependent on an understanding and thorough analysis of the work to be described. Similarly, the appropriate voicing of AD is done with nuance, attention to the  images on screen, an understanding of the phrasing used in AD writing, and the intent of the content creator. In 2021, the American Council of the Blind passed a resolution noting its “full support for … the use of human voices in … audio description for cinema and narrative video or streaming”. 

Can the spread of speech synthesis or AI development of AD scripts be stopped or forestalled? Should it be? Can its use be a time-saver for AD production?

AI apps are inevitable and will surely bring great advances to humanity. But–at leastfor the foreseeable future–experienced and human writers and voice talents are key to effective AD.