Ashly Burch, the voice behind Aloy in the Horizon series, has recently addressed a leaked AI-generated video featuring her character. The video, which surfaced last week and was reported by The Verge, showcased Sony's internal technology that demonstrated AI-powered characters. Sony has not yet responded to IGN's request for comment on the matter.

In the now-deleted video, Sony Interactive Entertainment's director of software engineering, Sharwin Raghoebardajal, engaged in a conversation with an AI version of Aloy. The AI responded to a simple query about her well-being with, "Hello, I'm managing alright. Just dealing with a sore throat. How have you been?" However, the voice was clearly not Burch's, sounding instead like a generic text-to-speech generator. The AI's facial animations were also notably stiff and lacked the life and emotion typically seen in Burch's performances.

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Burch, who has lent her voice to Aloy in all four Horizon games released to date (Zero Dawn, Forbidden West, Call of the Mountain, and Lego Horizon Adventures), took to TikTok to share her thoughts. She confirmed that she had seen the video and that Horizon developer Guerrilla had informed her that the tech demo was not part of any active development and did not utilize her performance data. This clarification suggests that the AI Aloy will not be featured in the upcoming Horizon multiplayer game or the anticipated Horizon 3. However, Burch acknowledged that Guerrilla and Sony Interactive Entertainment own the rights to the character Aloy.

The AI Aloy video prompted Burch to express her concerns about the future of game performance as an art form. She used the incident as a platform to discuss the ongoing video game voice actors strike, which has seen significant developments in recent weeks. The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) recently updated its members, noting progress in negotiations but also highlighting that they remain "frustratingly far apart" with the industry on key issues related to AI protections.

Burch emphasized the strike's core demands: "Currently what we’re fighting for is, you have to get our consent before you make an AI version of us in any form, you have to compensate us fairly, and you have to tell us how you’re using this AI double." She expressed her worry not about the technology itself but about the potential lack of recourse for actors if their performances are used without consent or fair compensation. Burch's passion for the industry and her desire to see it thrive for future generations underscored her support for the strike and the need for common sense protections.

Burch pointed out the existence of temporary union contracts that already provide the protections the striking voice actors are seeking, which are available for any video game company to sign. "There’s the interim, the tiered, and low budget agreement contracts available right now for any game company to sign," she stated, reinforcing her belief that voice actors deserve to be protected.

@ashly.burch let us speak on AI aloy

Generative AI remains a contentious topic within the video game and entertainment industries, which have faced significant layoffs in recent years. Critics have raised ethical and rights issues, as well as concerns about AI's ability to produce engaging content. For example, Keywords Studios' attempt to create an entirely AI-generated game failed, as they reported to investors that AI could not replace human talent.

Despite these challenges, several video game companies continue to explore generative AI. Activision recently disclosed the use of AI for some assets in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, amidst backlash over an AI-generated zombie Santa loading screen. The voice actor strike has also impacted various games, with players noticing unvoiced NPCs in titles like Destiny 2 and World of Warcraft. Additionally, Riot's attempt to bypass the strike by canceling a game led to SAG-AFTRA striking League of Legends, and Activision confirmed recasting characters in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 due to player feedback. Recently, two voice actors for Zenless Zone Zero learned of their replacement through the game's latest patch notes.

Asad Qizilbash, head of PlayStation Productions and product at PlayStation Studios, recently commented on the importance of AI in gaming for Gen Z and Gen Alpha players. He noted that personalization through AI, such as non-player characters responding to player actions, is highly valued by these younger audiences who seek meaningful, tailored experiences.