Mexican voice actors protest unauthorized INE use of cloned voice
Mexico's Instituto Nacional Electoral used AI voice cloning technology to replicate the voice of deceased actor Pepe Lavat without family permission in a TikTok video. Mexican voice actors and announcers protested on July 13, 2025, demanding legislation to regulate unauthorized voice cloning and commercial use of AI-generated voices.
What happened
The Instituto Nacional Electoral (INE) published a video on TikTok after judicial elections on June 1, 2025, in which it used an AI-cloned voice of deceased voice actor Pepe Lavat to thank voters for voting. Lavat died in 2018 and was famous for narrating the Latin American version of Dragon Ball Z and dubbing voices for stars such as Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.
The INE did not request permission from Lavat's family before using his cloned voice, according to his widow Gisela Casillas.
Reported impact
Mexican voice actors and announcers held a protest on July 13, 2025, at the Monument to the Revolution in Mexico City demanding legislation to regulate the use of human voices against AI voice cloning and unauthorized use in commercial or audiovisual products.
Voice actors reported that AI-generated alternatives are reducing wages and employment opportunities, with one actor stating: 'Where before you charged 10, now they offer you two. And if you don't accept, they say they'll do it with AI.'
Index analysis
The Asociaci贸n Mexicana de Locutores Comerciales (AMELOC) warned of the growing risk that voices could be replicated by AI tools without the owners' consent and requested acceleration of discussion on a legislative initiative already presented to the Chamber of Deputies.
Voice actor Alfonso Obreg贸n highlighted concerns that AI could resurrect deceased colleagues' voices without authorization or royalty payments to families. Actor Idzi Dutkiewicz warned that the urgency for legislation extends beyond dubbing to image, design, writing, and photography.
Governance controls
AMELOC's president Lili Barba requested that voice be considered a biometric data point to protect it from unauthorized use. Barba emphasized that AI should enhance the profession's values and ethics rather than replace or steal voices for products and services.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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