Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini has reaffirmed the company’s general anti-AI stance but admits it could be used to “help with recommendations and personalization” on the anime streamer.
“I would say it’s not that difficult,” Purini told Radio Times when pressed on whether it’s difficult to avoid using AI in an anime industry that has increasingly leaned on it.
Purini continued, “We are very clear in terms of what we will and will not do. We have always said creator authenticity is really important for us. We want to make sure creators get to tell the stories the way they want to tell them, whatever technology they want to use, but it is the [creator’s] intent. They get to tell the story, and we want to be authentic to their storytelling, and so that’s why we’re not using AI in our creative process – whether it’s subtitling or dubbing.”
While Purini has seemingly stopped short of refusing to platform any shows or movies that use generative AI in their creation, the Crunchyroll boss says AI still has some use – particularly when it comes to the Spotify-style personalization on offer.
“We’re looking at AI in terms of, how can we help with discovery, how can we help with recommendations and personalisation? How can we build a platform more engaging for our fans?” Purini said. “That clarity makes it easy for how we use AI.”
Anime has been beset by anime controversies in recent years. Notoriously, Amazon came under fire for its AI English dub on Banana Fish and a job posting that alluded to an “expansion of AI-enabled dubbing capabilities.”
In a separate incident, Wit Studio apologized after using AI in Ascendance of a Bookworm, and Crunchyroll itself appeared to leave in a line referencing ‘ChatGPT said’ in a German translation last year.
Despite the ongoing battle between art and AI, anime voice actor Kayleigh McKee offered a perfect counterpoint as to why performances should remain human.
“Nothing will ever be able to replicate it because of the uniqueness of our human condition and the nuance which, I think, is a bit of hubris to assume we can simply craft it into being in such a short time,” Mckee said.
For more, check out the best anime on Crunchyroll, plus our complete guide to 2026’s new anime.
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