Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to generate subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH), but industry professionals warn that the technology is far from ready to replace human expertise. The Subtle association, representing freelance subtitlers and translators, argues that AI-generated subtitles often require extensive corrections, leaving workers underpaid and threatening the quality of an essential accessibility service.
Max Deryagin, chair of Subtle, describes SDH as an art form that is undervalued by the industry. He says that AI tools have not significantly reduced the time needed to produce accurate subtitles. Meredith Cannella, a committee member with 14 years of experience, notes that auto transcription is the only area with positive advancements, but it still fails to cut overall production time due to necessary corrections.
Rachel Jones, another Subtle committee member, says that low rates for SDH work are making it unsustainable for professionals. “It really undermines the role that we play,” she explains. The Royal National Institute for Deaf People’s Teri Devine emphasises that subtitles are vital for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to enjoy media and stay connected to culture.
Subtitlers must make creative decisions about which sounds to include—such as song titles or emotional cues—depending on diverse audience needs. Cannella and Jones highlight that AI cannot judge the importance of sounds within context. Deryagin notes that in a film like Blow Out (1981), the same sound later reveals a plot twist, requiring human interpretation. He concludes: “Right now, it’s not even close.”
