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[Draugoth]

Skyrim VAs are speaking out about the spread of pornographic AI mods.

A slew of pornographic mods on the Nexus Mods website has caused mounting anger in the voice acting community. As reported by Gamesradar, Twitter user Robbie92_ has posted a list of Skyrim voice actors who have had their voices used against their will for NSFW mods, earlier this week.

These actors include April Stewart, who in addition to multiple characters in Skyrim, is the voice of Petra Venj in Destiny 2 and Jessamine Kaldwin in Dishonoured 2; Jon Curry, who voiced Zevran in Dragon Age: Origins; and Susan Eisenberg, who has voiced Wonder Woman in both animation and video games since 2001.

The National Association of Voice Actors tweeted in response: "The damage to voice actors and game companies by AI and synthetic voices is real and tangible," proceeding to tag both Bethesda Studios and Zenimax Online, writing: "voice actors don't have the legal ability to fight this, but you can help."

The wider voice acting community has also rallied to decry the mods. Linsay Rousseau of Transformers: War for Cybertron, Deathloop, and Fallout 76 quote tweeted: "Voice Actors don't consent to this. If you're using these mods, you're stealing & abusing our work."

Jennifer Hale, voice of Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect Series, also tweeted: "to make this CRYSTAL clear: if you do not have written permission to use my voice, you DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION to use my voice, including AI use."

Meanwhile Abbey Veffer, who voices a host of characters in The Elder Scrolls Online and Genshin Impact, wrote: "I do not, and never will, consent to my voice being used for AI synthesis, cloning, deepfakes, etc. This is NOT okay."

Robbie92_ has also been doing considerable work via a google document to assemble a list of mods "that use AI cloning to produce non-consensual pornographic content" for the purposes of spreading awareness and reporting them, an exhaustive task that April Stewart thanked them for. "The Google doc was particularly helpful when I contacted my agent and also requested the content be taken down."

 

[DeepEnigma]

It's a brave new world.

Good luck to our species.

 

[Pegasus Actual]

AI deepfakes are definitely concerning. Not so much in the context of these narcissists freaking out about a few weirdos wanting to make video game porn, though.

 

[ToTTenTranz]

Old men yelling at cloud.

They can try to regulate who gets to voice videogame characters, but good luck at stopping people from using open source tools to create voice files on mods that are distributed for free.

 

[MagnesD3]

Yeah like scoob, this is kinda only the beginning bro, no one will escape the degeneracy.

 

[Kurotri]

This decade is going to be the wildest shit. This train has no brakes.

 

[MrTroubleMaker]

when there is a will, there is a way, can't stop mods.

 

[Deft Beck]

I think this is going to go down the same way as remixes: there will always be bootleg or unauthorized uses of AI voices, but there will be authorized and official uses of AI, too.

Right now, the technology is developing faster than the law, and it'll take some time to catch up.

 

[LakeOf9]

Unfortunately I dont think AI mods like this can be stopped, let's just hope that as a society we reach the understanding that it's generally bad form to use AI or things like this like we did with deepfakes

 

[DeepEnigma]

I mean, technically it's not your voice.

But that then begs the question, where are the lines of autonomy drawn in this brave new world?

 

[Wildebeest]

Is there a NSFW Dagoth Ur mod yet?

 

[M.W.]

Dead Reckoning, damn straight.

 

[Ulysses 31]

 

[ThatStupidLion]

Coming a long way from leisure suit larry, spellcasting 101, xxx tetris, and virtual valerie

 

[Umbasaborne]

Coming a long way from leisure suit larry, spellcasting 101, xxx tetris, and virtual valerie

Don’t forget beat ‘em and and eat ‘em, as well as clusters revenge

 

[Fuz]

Overreacting.

AI deepfakes are definitely concerning. Not so much in the context of these narcissists freaking out about a few weirdos wanting to make video game porn, though.

I agree with this.

 

[Fuz]

I think this is going to go down the same way as remixes: there will always be bootleg or unauthorized uses of AI voices, but there will be authorized and official uses of AI, too.

Right now, the technology is developing faster than the law, and it'll take some time to catch up.

Pffff... the law. What good did it ever do for us?

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

AI deepfakes are definitely concerning. Not so much in the context of these narcissists freaking out about a few weirdos wanting to make video game porn, though.

There's an endless stream of truly evil things that can be done or enhanced with ai. It's the wild west right now. I don't loose sleep about this stupid instance as well, but there's definitely disgusting shit out there in the context of ai generated porn.

 

[Kilau]

I mean, technically it's not your voice.

But that then begs the question, where are the lines of autonomy drawn in this brave new world?

True for sure, does “likeness” extend to voice? The only way this would be stopped though is if there is a ban on AI on Steam or in game mods.

 

[proandrad]

They can be upset about it all they want, but it is what it is. No one can stop AI at this point.

 

[Drizzlehell]

Meanwhile:

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Oooooh baby, I took an arrow to the knee. Oh yes, yes, yes, YES!!!!

 

[X-Wing]

AI as a whole is a threat. Not in the sense it will take over the world or something, but it will be a massive weapon of misinformation and manipulation.
Regulators are lagging, AI needs to be regulated - severely regulated - as soon as possible.

 

[Drizzlehell]

Oooooh baby, I took an arrow to the knee. Oh yes, yes, yes, YES!!!!

I used to be an adventurer like you, but then I took a dick to the ass and became a gay cop.

 

[Holammer]

If AI scares you, move to an Amish community NOW.

 

[Fuz]

If AI scares you, move to an Amish community NOW.

It should scare you too, Amish or not.

 

[DeVeAn]

This train ain’t stopping for anyone’s outrage. Imagine some of the cool things though. If I could mod Urkel to be the permanent voice for Sonic the Hedgehog I’d do it.

 

[Guilty_AI]

I mean, technically it's not your voice.

But that then begs the question, where are the lines of autonomy drawn in this brave new world?

True for sure, does “likeness” extend to voice? The only way this would be stopped though is if there is a ban on AI on Steam or in game mods.

I think the best way to draw the line would be the material used for its training

>It "sounds like" some actor but was trained using completely open source material, or material provided by the creator.
vs
>It used voice lines from said actor to train and sound like them.

 

[Gojiira]

In no way are they hurt having an AI voice lines in a FREE fucking mod…They arent losing money, they aren’t being ‘mistaken’ for having contributed…Just a bunch of pansy snowflakes ffs

 

[ConcealedBlaze]

I feel like a lot of you are missing the point that you have the rights to your own likeness, including your voice. People aren’t just allowed to use it without your permission. This isn’t just “outrage” from voice actors. It’s a legal problem we’re going to see crop up more and more with continued AI use.

 

[systemr123]

It should scare you too, Amish or not.

Yep and AI isn’t even necessarily scary for the reasons you think it is. It’s a politicians best tool to lie from now on, especially when the video generating AI also matures. Imagine you could almost always get out any problems saying the following: it wasn’t me, I didn’t say it, it must have been AI.

Now that’s the most scary thing of all I’d say. AI will be abused by the most powerful, to get away with literally anything and everything.

 

[Zathalus]

If AI scares you, move to an Amish community NOW.

Of course it scares me. Not because of video games but once deepfakes become indistinguishable from reality... well that is going to play havoc with our legal and political systems.

 

[Fuz]

Yep and AI isn’t even necessarily scary for the reasons you think it is. It’s a politicians best tool to lie from now on, especially when the video generating AI also matures. Imagine you could almost always get out any problems saying the following: it wasn’t me, I didn’t say it, it must have been AI.

Or justifying a war with some fake video, or new legal restraint or...

And suddenly Chris McCandless doesn't looks like an idiot.

 

[kiunchbb]

Finally we can have dialogue heavy game that's fully voiced, fk the selfish assholes that tried to stop progress.

 

[Filben]

Damn, those thirsty modders. Just look at the most downloaded mods for Shadow of the Tomb Raider on Nexus. If you'd thought you'd find some combat and skill/perk overhaul mod...

 

[Torrent of Pork]

Of course it scares me. Not because of video games but once deepfakes become indistinguishable from reality... well that is going to play havoc with our legal and political systems.

Who's going to be the first political candidate to fabricate their opponent saying some monstrous shit with AI? What happens if it's the politician you support? Could you even trust them when they disavow the practice with Super PACs offering deniability?

There's a shit-storm on the horizon.

 

[K2D]

I believe the victims have a good case for cease and desist against mod sites. As the AI are trained on protected audio footage.

AI voice work has come to stay. But I imagine we're a long way's away from AI voice work out classing real voice acting - if ever.

 

[Aenima]

Who's going to be the first political candidate to fabricate their opponent saying some monstrous shit with AI? What happens if it's the politician you support? Could you even trust them when they disavow the practice with Super PACs offering deniability?

There's a shit-storm on the horizon.

There was already deep fakes of the Ukranian president surrending and telling the troops to lay down they weapons. As the tech evolves it will reach a point where it will fool most of the ppl.

 

[March Climber]

It's the wild west right now.

The keywords are 'right now'.

It's much like the internet's first baby steps imo. Once corporations and legal systems figure things out, we'll be back to a place similar to now, just with some A.I. features along for the ride.

 

[ZoukGalaxy]

That's only the beginning of AI.

 

[Apocryphon]

Who's going to be the first political candidate to fabricate their opponent saying some monstrous shit with AI? What happens if it's the politician you support? Could you even trust them when they disavow the practice with Super PACs offering deniability?

There's a shit-storm on the horizon.

As if they weren’t batshit enough anyway, the next US presidential campaign is going to be absolutely nuts

We’re in for a fucking ride over the next decade. Eventually they’ll regulate, but it isn’t going to happen fast enough to make any difference.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

AI should've been regulated like yesterday, ffs.

 

[justiceiro]

Well, I feel for them, I really do. On the other hand, I hope mods don't get criminalized altogether because of a few taking things too far.

 

[KormaChameleon]

There was already deep fakes of the Ukranian president surrending and telling the troops to lay down they weapons. As the tech evolves it will reach a point where it will fool most of the ppl.

This is side of AI generated content terrifies me. For somewhat harmless stuff such as mods, I don't mind as long it's not being portrayed in negative context.

 

[Barakov]

There was already deep fakes of the Ukranian president surrending and telling the troops to lay down they weapons. As the tech evolves it will reach a point where it will fool most of the ppl.

I think at some point somebody is going to post something for the internet clout but instead it causes a major international incident. I think at that point there'll be a major crackdown on this. Or at least an attempt.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

I mean, they are just recompiling what voice evidence exists within the published game that they purchased and applying it to a new use much in the same way that existing textures and models are taken and reapplied to new uses with other mods.

It's not like they are selling them or profiting from this construct.

AI is going to make for turbulent waters for all ships.

 

[kiphalfton]

This decade is going to be the wildest shit. This train has no brakes.

God bless these degenerates.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

Skyrim VAs are speaking out about the spread of pornographic AI mods.

That community post is fucking great. Like, it has to be trolling, it's that good.

"Hey guys. We have an awesome community, but they're total pervs, they are underground we have thrown them so far under the bus. These actresses are not for the porn, but our community of awesome creative fucking absolute Buffalo Bill ass motherfuckers have made them the porn is nao. This is sickening, and invasive of these people's privacy. Here's a list of them in case any of you guys wanna catch a fap, don't be fucking weird, thanx,"

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

AI definitely needs banned full stop.

For every potential Data or Doctor we could get, we'll get 10,000 Agimus too.

 

[Crayon]

The best has yet to come.