Ashly Burch voices AI concerns in gaming art

Ashly Burch, the actress behind Horizon's iconic protagonist Aloy, has publicly responded to last week's leaked AI-generated Aloy demonstration video while highlighting key demands of the ongoing voice actors' strike.

The AI Aloy Controversy Explained

Reports emerged last week of an internal Sony video showcasing AI-powered character technology using Horizon's Aloy. The tech demonstration featured a stiff, robotic version of the character engaging in conversation through AI-generated voice and facial animations.

In the since-deleted video, Sony Interactive Entertainment engineering director Sharwin Raghoebardajal interacted with the AI Aloy, whose unnatural movements and text-to-speech voice bore no resemblance to Burch's authentic performance.

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Burch's Response and Concerns

The acclaimed voice actress, who has portrayed Aloy across all four Horizon titles, confirmed Guerrilla Games reached out to clarify this wasn't part of active development and didn't utilize her performance data. While this likely means we won't see AI Aloy in future Horizon projects, Burch expressed deeper concerns about the implications for performance art and actor rights.

"I feel worried about game performance as an art form," Burch stated, using the incident to highlight strike negotiations. She cited three key demands from SAG-AFTRA: consent before creating AI versions of performers, fair compensation, and transparency about AI usage.

"I'm not against the technology, but we need protections. Without them, performers could lose control over their digital likenesses with no recourse."

The Broader AI Debate in Gaming

The entertainment industry continues grappling with AI implementation amid mass layoffs, with mixed results. While some companies forge ahead with generative AI tools (as seen in recent Call of Duty and Zenless Zone Zero developments), others like Keywords Studios have documented AI's creative limitations in actual game development.

The voice actors' strike has already impacted major franchises, with Destiny 2 and World of Warcraft reportedly shipping content with silent NPCs. PlayStation executive Asad Qizilbash recently defended AI usage for personalization features appealing to younger generations, predicting NPCs that dynamically respond to player actions.

As negotiations continue, Burch and fellow actors emphasize available temporary contracts that address their concerns: "These agreements exist right now for any studio to sign. We're fighting to protect the future of this art form we love."