Crunchyroll Head Vows Not to Use AI for Subtitles and Dubbing - Company Learned from Past Scandals

Crunchyroll CEO Rahul Purini clearly outlined the platform's stance on generative AI in an interview with Radio Times. According to him, the company does not plan to integrate neural networks into creative processes, including subtitle creation and localization.

Purini emphasized that "creator authenticity" is critically important for Crunchyroll. At the same time, the service is not going to dictate terms to Japanese studios: anime creators are free to use any technologies they deem necessary to realize their vision. However, at the distribution stage, AI will only be used in technical areas – for personalized recommendations and search optimization.

This position differs from earlier statements by the leadership. In 2024, Purini said that Crunchyroll was actively testing speech-to-text translation using AI to release subtitles simultaneously with Japanese releases. However, the streaming service's leadership was brought back to reality by a loud scandal in the spring of 2025. At that time, during the broadcast of the anime "Cosmic Horror Show Necronomicon," a third-party contractor uploaded AI-generated subtitles to the service and forgot to remove the technical tag "ChatGPT said: [...]" from the player.

Crunchyroll then stated that the partner had violated the terms of the agreement and promised to conduct an internal investigation, but the main criticism still went to the service itself.

In addition to its own painful experience, Crunchyroll's position was certainly influenced by harsh criticism directed at its colleagues in the industry. In late 2025, Amazon faced a mass boycott for secretly replacing professional voice acting with AI dubbing in a number of popular series, including "Vinland Saga" and "Banana Fish." After this, the company removed the controversial tracks, and some time later, ceased its search for an AI dubbing specialist.