Ashly Burch Worried About AI's Impact on Game Art

Ashly Burch, the voice behind Aloy in the Horizon series, recently addressed a leaked AI-generated video featuring her character. The video, which emerged last week and was reported by The Verge, showcased Sony's technology using AI to animate and voice Aloy. Despite the video being deleted, it sparked significant concern within the gaming community. Sony has yet to comment on the video, according to IGN's request.

In the video, Sony Interactive Entertainment's director of software engineering, Sharwin Raghoebardajal, conversed with an AI version of Aloy. The AI Aloy responded to questions with a robotic voice, far from Burch's original performance, and exhibited stiff facial animations and lifeless eyes. Burch, who has lent her voice to Aloy across four Horizon games including Zero Dawn, Forbidden West, Call of the Mountain, and Lego Horizon Adventures, confirmed on TikTok that she had seen the video. She clarified that the tech demo was not indicative of any ongoing development at Guerrilla, nor did it utilize any of her performance data.

Burch expressed her concerns about the future of game performance as an art form, using the AI Aloy video as a catalyst to discuss the ongoing strike by video game voice actors. The strike, supported by SAG-AFTRA, focuses on securing protections against the use of AI in performances. Burch emphasized the importance of consent, fair compensation, and transparency in the use of AI doubles. She highlighted the potential risks if these protections are not secured, expressing her fear that without them, future actors might lack recourse against unauthorized use of their performances.

While Burch made it clear she was not targeting Guerrilla or any specific company, she stressed the need for the industry to agree to common-sense protections. She pointed out that temporary union contracts are currently available that offer the protections the striking actors are seeking, urging game companies to sign these agreements.

The broader context of AI in gaming includes its use by companies like Activision for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, despite backlash over AI-generated content. The voice actor strike has already affected games like Destiny 2, World of Warcraft, and League of Legends, with some characters left unvoiced or recast. Recent statements from PlayStation's Asad Qizilbash underscore the importance of AI in providing personalized experiences for younger gamers, indicating a growing trend in the industry.

The Best PlayStation Character Face-Off

Pick a winner

New duel1ST2ND3RDSee your ResultsFinish playing for your personal results or see the community’s!Continue playingSee results