Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is partnering with Google Cloud to create hidden subtitles for content on Max, the streaming service under WBD in the United States. WBD plans to employ an innovative "Subtitle AI" solution operating on Google Cloud's Vertex AI platform to transcribe speech to text for select programs, starting initially with unscripted shows.

Subtitles generated for Max’s programs will undergo human oversight to guarantee their quality. According to Google, this workflow can reduce the time required to produce subtitle files by up to 80% and cut costs by as much as 50% compared to manual approaches. WBD will continue to refine and train the Subtitle AI to minimize errors.

It is important to note that most content on Max already includes hidden subtitle tracks, and WBD has yet to specify the extent to which Subtitle AI will be utilized. While automatic speech-to-text services for video subtitles have been available for years, with major studios like WBD now testing cutting-edge AI technologies for this task, we may witness this technology becoming the industry standard for subtitle creation.