Renowned voice actor Ashly Burch celebrated for bringing the character Aloy to life in “Horizon Zero Dawn” and its sequel “Horizon Forbidden West,” recently voiced her concerns over a controversial AI tech demo featuring her character that surfaced last week. Burch, understandably apprehensive, expressed her fears regarding the potential implications for the gaming industry.
In a candid TikTok video, Burch recounted how she was contacted by Gorilla, the game’s developer, who assured her that the demo did not represent any current development projects. They emphasised that the demo had not utilised any of her performance data, neither facial nor vocal.
Despite these reassurances, Burch confessed her broader anxieties. Her concerns were not limited to Gorilla or the Horizon series, nor were they about her personal performance or career prospects. Instead, she wasafflictedd about the future of game performance as an art form itself.
Burch’s apprehensions emerged against the backdrop of an ongoing strike led by SAG-AFTRA, focusing on securing protections for actors against being supplanted by AI within the gaming sector. This struggle echoes a similar fight waged in 2023 when SAG-AFTRA, alongside the Writers Guild of America, challenged the encroachment of AI in the film and television industries. Now, voice and motion capture actors in video games are uniting to safeguard their livelihoods and the creative integrity of their field from the looming threat of artificial intelligence.
In her video, Ashly Burch eloquently articulated the core issue at hand: the technology itself isn’t problematic, nor is the desire of game companies to utilise it. The genuine concern lies in the ongoing strike, as the bargaining representatives for the game studios refuse to grant the voice and motion capture artists the reasonable protections they seek.
The recent leak of an AI tech demo featuring Aloy serves as a stark cautionary tale about the potential future of the gaming industry if artists fail to secure safeguards against AI encroachment. Although the clip was swiftly removed from YouTube, those who saw it noted a distinctly colder, more robotic quality compared to Burch’s exceptional portrayal of Aloy. This footage underscores the depth and emotion that are lost when human contributions are stripped from game performances.
Fans have expressed their displeasure with the tech demo. A Horizon enthusiast on Reddit voiced their discontent, stating, “If they incorporate this AI technology in the next game, I won’t be buying or playing it.”
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Another devoted fan urged support for Burch, commenting, “As admirers of games like Horizon, we should stand by the PEOPLE striving to enhance our entertainment experiences. I embrace technological progress, as Burch mentioned, but it must not come at the expense of real people.
In a candid moment, Burch assured viewers in her video that her portrayal had not been utilised to train the AI version of Aloy featured in the tech demonstration. Yet, she openly acknowledged the genuine threat that actors’ performances might be misused or employed without consent for AI purposes.
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Burch elaborated, “My concern isn’t about the existence of this technology, nor about game companies wanting to implement it. Naturally, they aim to harness technological progress. What troubles me is envisioning a scenario where a similar video emerges with an actor’s performance unknowingly tied to it.”
She further expressed, “Should we falter in this battle, that actor would be left defenceless. They’d lack any safeguards or means to resist. That prospect… It fills me with sorrow.”
Actors and gaming enthusiasts have valid concerns regarding the industry’s trajectory. Voice and motion capture performers have become integral to many exceptional games, gaining more acknowledgement today than ever before.
One hopes game developers heed the reaction to the AI Aloy footage from Burch and Horizon enthusiasts. While AI holds potential as a beneficial tool in gaming, sidelining actors would be a setback for both players and gaming as a medium for compelling narratives.
As Ashly Burch passionately stated, “I cherish this industry and art form deeply and yearn for a new wave of actors. I wish for countless more extraordinary game performances. […] If we don’t prevail, that vision of the future is severely jeopardised.”
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