Recent reports have announced that Crunchyroll, the largest anime streaming service, will be replacing Aegisub with Israeli Software, OOONA, to produce subtitles more efficiently. Anime fans across the world are disappointed with this collaboration due to Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians (via a report by the United Nations Commission of Inquiry).

Crunchyroll is also ignoring the needs of groups who require Closed Captions to understand the scenes better. They are isolating a large chunk of their audience in favor of AI-based subtitling, which defeats the point of a streaming service. Overall, this hasn’t been a great year for Crunchyroll, and this won’t be the end of it.

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[–] Natanox@discuss.tchncs.de 106 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Creates bad AI subtitles

Ignores customer needs

Changes business to genocidal regime

"Why does everyone hate us?? Must be the damn pirates! :<"

[–] M1ch431@slrpnk.net 60 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

From the mass employee layoffs to being caught using ChatGPT for subtitles

So caught using ChatGPT and then doubling down on using AI for subtitles in the worst possible way? Wow...

People pay for an anime streaming service to do better than fan-based translations, not worse.

[–] primrosepathspeedrun@anarchist.nexus 22 points 2 weeks ago

"Using a popular large language model wasn't bad enough. We wanted the genocidal large language model!"

[–] bobo1900@startrek.website 40 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

This is just weird. Why make these changes? Customers don't want it, the company doesn't profit and they actually lost money and reputation by doing this and not backtracking. Who is benefiting from this? It looks like a perfect lose-lose situation

[–] k_rol@lemmy.ca 40 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

... Who is benefiting from this?

Probably the MBA executives. They have bonuses if it works and they have bonuses if it doesn't work and they leave their contract early. MBAs don't understand the product-customer relationship it seems.

[–] Banzai51@midwest.social 18 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Too many MBAs and execs are too focused on the shareholder. They forget you have to take care of the customer first. It doesn't help we have insane institutional shareholders who reward execs for punishing the customer. It's a big reason Enshittification is such a big problem today.

[–] Prove_your_argument@piefed.social 11 points 2 weeks ago

The only reason why the MBAs and Execs have jobs are because the shareholders want more money.

Customers don't decide company leadership unless it interferes with shareholder or exec goals.

The system of ownership determining everything for everyone is the problem but good luck getting those in power to give up that ownership complex.

[–] lka1988@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 weeks ago

You can blame Dodge (yes, that Dodge) for enshrining the importance of shareholders over customers.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_v._Ford_Motor_Co.

[–] quickenparalysespunk@lemmy.dbzer0.com 36 points 2 weeks ago

crunchy was criminal since the get go. their earliest releases were unauthorized reposts of fansubs, for which they already charged subscription fees!

so they started their existence by pirating while making money through stealing fansubbers' (volunteer btw) work.

[–] Mr_Mofu@lemmy.blahaj.zone 27 points 2 weeks ago

Already canceled my Subscription the first time that aI Subtitle Crap came out. Sailin the seas it is!

[–] kami@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 2 weeks ago

Oh no! Anyway...

[–] Sunshine@piefed.social 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

This is why I switched to ADN recently.

American companies are corrupt.

[–] Auli@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Isn't it owned by Sony which is not an American company.

[–] Sunshine@piefed.social 2 points 2 weeks ago

Crunchyroll is based in the US while Sony the parent company is Japanese.

[–] BurgerBaron@piefed.social 1 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah they're Sony. Sony also owns Funimation, Wakanim, Aniplex, Madman Anime Group, Animax, and then a bunch of production studios.

[–] jol@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 2 weeks ago

Fansubs continue being superior to professional subs. Ai subs will just bring the industry down completely.