Ashly Burch Expresses Concerns Over AI in Gaming Art

Ashly Burch, the voice behind Aloy in the Horizon series, recently addressed a leaked AI-powered video featuring the character. The video, which surfaced last week and was reported by The Verge, showcased Sony's internal technology demonstrating AI-generated characters. Despite the leak, Sony has not yet responded to IGN’s request for comment on the matter.

In the video, which has since been deleted, Sony Interactive Entertainment's director of software engineering, Sharwin Raghoebardajal, conversed with an AI version of Aloy. The AI Aloy, using voice prompts and AI-generated speech and facial animations, responded to Raghoebardajal's inquiry about her well-being with, "Hello, I'm managing alright. Just dealing with a sore throat. How have you been?" However, the voice was not Burch's but a robotic one typical of text-to-speech generators. The AI's facial animations were notably stiff, and her eyes lacked the lifelike quality of a human performance.

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Burch, who has lent her voice to Aloy in all four Horizon games to date (Zero Dawn, Forbidden West, Call of the Mountain, and Lego Horizon Adventures), took to TikTok to discuss the video. She confirmed that Horizon developer Guerrilla had informed her that the tech demo was not indicative of any current development and did not utilize any of her performance data. This clarification suggests that the AI Aloy technology won't feature in the upcoming Horizon multiplayer game or the anticipated Horizon 3. Burch acknowledged that Sony Interactive Entertainment, Guerrilla's parent company, owns the rights to the character Aloy.

Expressing her concerns, Burch highlighted the potential impact of such technology on the art of game performance. She utilized the AI Aloy video to shed light on the ongoing strike by video game voice actors, which has seen significant developments in recent weeks. The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) recently updated its members on the negotiations over AI protections for video game actors, noting progress but also a significant gap with the industry's bargaining group on crucial issues.

Burch articulated the core demands of the strike: consent for creating AI versions of actors, fair compensation, and transparency regarding the use of AI doubles. She expressed deep concern not about the existence of the technology itself, but about the potential lack of protections for actors if the strike fails. Burch emphasized her love for the industry and her desire to see a future where new generations of actors can continue to deliver exceptional performances. She stressed that she was not targeting any specific company, including Guerrilla, but rather focusing on the broader issue of protections during the strike.

Burch pointed out that temporary union contracts currently offer the protections that striking actors are seeking, and these are available for any game company to sign immediately. She firmly supported the strike, viewing it as essential to safeguarding the future of voice acting in video games.

@ashly.burch let us speak on AI aloy ♬ original sound - Ashly Burch

Generative AI remains a hot topic in the video game and entertainment industries, which have faced significant layoffs in recent years. Criticism has arisen from ethical concerns, rights issues, and AI's struggles to produce engaging content. For example, Keywords Studios attempted to create an entirely AI-generated game but reported to investors that AI could not replace human talent.

Despite these challenges, several video game companies continue to explore generative AI in their development processes. Activision recently disclosed using AI for some assets in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, amidst backlash over an AI-generated zombie Santa loading screen. The voice actor strike has also begun affecting games like Destiny 2 and World of Warcraft, where certain NPCs remain unvoiced. Last year, SAG-AFTRA initiated a strike against League of Legends after Riot allegedly tried to undermine the strike by canceling a game. Activision also confirmed recasting characters in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 following player feedback on new voices. Just last week, two Zenless Zone Zero voice actors discovered their replacement via the game's patch notes.

Asad Qizilbash, head of PlayStation Productions and head of product at PlayStation Studios, recently commented on the importance of AI in video games for younger generations like Gen Z and Gen Alpha. He highlighted how AI could personalize non-player character interactions, catering to the digital natives' desire for personalized and meaningful gaming experiences.