Sinclair Turns to Generative AI for Language Translation in Original Content

Audio for Tennis Channel’s Petko Unfiltered will be translated into Spanish

To reach more audiences globally in their native languages, Sinclair Broadcast Group has taken initial steps into the use of generative artificial intelligence in its original content. The company will use AI for language translation, beginning with Petko Unfiltered, a Tennis Channel series in which analyst Andrea Petkovic, a former WTA ninth-ranked player, provides an in-depth first-person perspective on trending tennis topics.

The episodes, recorded and presented by Tennis Channel in English in several European countries and on its second network T2 in the U.S., will be translated into Spanish to air on Tennis Channel in Spain beginning later this month.

Sinclair’s Chris Ripley: “Generative AI is set to transform the world we live in. We believe that upholding ethical standards in media through AI implementation is paramount.”

For this initiative, Sinclair has collaborated with HeyGen, a generative-AI video company specializing in voice translation and lip-sync services. For full transparency, the episodes will include a disclosure slate explaining the AI use and a QR code providing a comparison of language versions.

“Generative AI is set to transform the world we live in,” said Sinclair President/CEO Chris Ripley in a statement announcing the imitative. “Sinclair is enthusiastic about leveraging the technology to make our original content accessible to a bigger audience through language translation. At the same time, we believe that upholding ethical standards in media through AI implementation is paramount. We recognize our duty to employ AI with integrity and transparency, to safeguard not only our industry’s reputation but also the trust of our audiences. At Sinclair, we take this responsibility seriously, which is why we have chosen to voluntarily and proactively join the leading organizations dedicated to promoting responsible practices.”

Among organizations working to protect content provenance and address misinformation are Content Authenticity Initiative — a leader in the global effort to address digital misinformation and content authenticity, focused on promoting and providing an open, cross-industry approach to media transparency — and the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity — a formal coalition dedicated exclusively to drafting technical standards and specifications as a foundation for universal content provenance.

In addition, Sinclair has created SAIF (Sinclair AI Forum), an internal, interdepartmental AI workgroup to facilitate knowledge sharing, governance, compliance, and strategic guidance across the company.