A recent agreement between the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) and AI voice technology company Replica Studios has sparked widespread criticism from voice actors in the gaming industry. The deal, which claims to offer new employment opportunities for voice actors by creating digital voice replicas, has raised ethical and financial concerns among industry professionals.
While the announcement states that the agreement was approved by members of the union’s voiceover performer community, many prominent voice actors have expressed their frustration at not being informed about the deal. Steve Blum, a well-known voice actor in games, took to Twitter to express his disbelief, stating that nobody in their community approved the agreement and that games are a significant source of their livelihood.
Other voice actors, including Elias Toufexis and Veronica Taylor, shared similar sentiments, revealing that they were not consulted or asked for their opinions on the matter. Toufexis, known for his role as Adam Jensen in Deus Ex, expressed disappointment at not being included in the decision-making process, while Taylor, who voiced Ash Ketchum in the Pokémon animated series, questioned why actual actors couldn’t be used for video games instead of AI replicas.
The concerns raised by voice actors revolve around the potential impact on their careers and livelihoods. By allowing developers to use AI replicas of their performances, there is a fear that the demand for human voice actors will decline, leading to fewer job opportunities. Roger Clark, the voice of Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2, highlighted this issue, stating that if developers can use AI renderings of A-list voice actors’ performances at a lower cost, there would be little incentive to hire lesser-known actors who make up the majority of the industry.
The implications of this AI deal are significant, as it raises questions about the future of voice acting in the gaming industry. While the use of AI voices in video games is still relatively limited, with only a few titles implementing it fully, the controversy surrounding this agreement highlights the need for a broader discussion about the ethical and financial considerations of AI in entertainment.
The source of the article is from the blog tvbzorg.com