'This Is Stealing Not Just My Job but My Identity.' Baldur's Gate 3 Voice Actors Say No to AI Voice Cloning
More voice actors spoke out on AI. This time the use of this technology was commented on by the cast of Baldur's Gate 3 from Larian Studios.
The actors from the popular game Baldur's Gate 3 shared their thoughts on having their voices processed by AI. Eurogamer journalists asked the cast about this issue during the recent BAFTA awards ceremony, where Larian Studios scooped up more awards.
It's been known for a while that voice actors aren't fond of artificial intelligence. All because of using it for remixes, in which internet users place the characteristic voice of artists without their consent. Roger Clark, who played Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2, has already expressed negative opinions about such practices, and now actors known from Baldur's Gate 3 have joined him.
Amelia Tyler, the narrator of Baldur's Gate 3, openly acknowledged that refusing to allow her voice to be processed using AI would constitute theft not only of her work but also of her identity. At the same time, the actress has nothing against fans recording their own versions of dialogue lines.
People have been recreating my voice off the back of this game in AI without my permission [...]. Just so everyone is aware, none of us have given permission for that to ever happen. Unless I have signed something saying you're allowed to do that, that is stealing not just my job but my identity -- said Amelia Tyler.
Raphael, or Andrew Wincott, who won the Best Supporting Actor category at the BAFTA ceremony, also spoke on the matter. According to him, AI offers many benefits - for instance, by recording 10 hours of material, you can get a 40-hour product. As Wincott says: "And I thought that's great, as long as you pay me for 40 hours of work."
Samantha Béart, portraying Karla, is a bit let down by the recent contract signed by the SAG-AFTRA association, which advocates for actors' rights in the fast-evolving field of AI. Béart believes that it doesn't provide sufficient protection for artists.
Neil Newbon, who plays Astarion, would completely eliminate artificial intelligence from acting. He believes that AI doesn't properly convey the emotions of the characters. According to him, many people in the gaming industry prefer to work with actors because of their talent.
Eurogamer also spoke with actors from other games. Among them were David Harewood (Alan Wake 2), Ben Starr, and Ralph Ineson (Final Fantasy XVI). They are also concerned about the presence of AI in acting, which is unlikely to disappear, but will start to develop even faster.
