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[Lunatic_Gamer]

Aloy’s original actor, Ashly Burch, has said that while developer Gurreilla Games reached out and assured her that this video wasn’t reflective of anything that was currently being worked on, she’s worried for the future of the industry.

“I saw the tech demo earlier this week. Guerrilla reached out to let me know that the demo didn’t reflect anything that was actively in development. They didn’t use any of my performance for the demo, none of my facial or voice data. Guerrilla owns Aloy as a character.”

“I feel worried, and not worried about Guerrilla specifically or Horizon or my performance or my career specifically, even I feel worried about this art form, game performance.”

“We are currently on strike. SAG-AFTRA is currently on strike against video games because of AI, because this technology exists, and because we know that game companies want to use it. We are asking for protections.”

“I feel worried not because the technology exists, not even because game companies want to use it, because of course they want to use technological advancements, I just imagine a video like this coming out, that does have someone’s performance attached to it, that does have someone’s voice or face or movement, and the possibility that if we lose this fight, that person would have more recourse.”

Aloy actor reacts to AI-powered leak: ‘I am worried for this art form’ | VGC

The Aloy actor says she worries for the future of performances in video games as AI looms…

www.videogameschronicle.com

 

[Gameplay Gods Bless]

Aloy’s original actor, Ashly Burch, has said that while developer Gurreilla Games reached out and assured her that this video wasn’t reflective of anything that was currently being worked on, she’s worried for the future of the industry.

Aloy actor reacts to AI-powered leak: ‘I am worried for this art form’ | VGC

The Aloy actor says she worries for the future of performances in video games as AI looms…

www.videogameschronicle.com

Kek is the AI alloy at least interesting to listen to? Can't say the same about regular alloy.

 

[Cert.in.Death]

Game about worldwide societal collapse due to a feverish AI takeover now faces its own AI reckoning

I would say it’s ironic but perhaps real life is just the prequel

 

[yurinka]

Horse-drawn carriages makers were also worried about the first cars. Things evolve and change, people need to adapt.

Kek is the AI alloy at least interesting to listen to?

It's just an early rough prototype, many years away from being something usable in a commercial videogame.

And even way more away from doing it with a quality that would replace the acting of a real person for the protagonist of a AAA videogame like Horizon.

 

[iamvin22]

Where is this Ai aloy video or did Sony remove it?

 

[FeralEcho]

I agree with the fact that exclusively relying on AI without a human input is awful for any art form but they really didn't think this through with this did they?

Because you know who doesn't go on strikes??

AI

LOL

 

[Topher]

Where is this Ai aloy video or did Sony remove it?

It was taken down, but here is the article:

Sony is experimenting with AI-powered PlayStation characters

Sony’s advanced technology group is working on AI projects.

www.theverge.com

 

[BennyBlanco]

I’m 100% ok with AI replacing these people.



Just listen to this shit. FF7 Remake is a high budget AAA game. Imagine a big budget movie using acting that is this awful. It would never happen, and if it did it would be endlessly mocked.

 

[Unknown?]

Horse-drawn carriages makers were also worried about the first cars. Things evolve and change.


It's just an early rough prototype, many years away from being something usable in a commercial videogame.

Difference is that new technology replaced the need for expensive animals and made things more efficient, now it's replacing people.

 

[MrTroubleMaker]

just like all the other actors and voice actors on the planet....get a better contract and lawyer.

 

[Topher]

I’m 100% ok with AI replacing these people.



Just listen to this shit. FF7 Remake is a high budget AAA game. Imagine a big budget movie using acting that is this awful. It would never happen, and if it did it would be endlessly mocked.

A lot of that is on the director more than the voice actor. I did some theater when I was young and remember having to lines over and over again until I got it right for the director.

 

[winjer]

Man, time does fly by.
I still remember when she and her brother started their careers with "Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin'?"
Probably there is few people that still remember those, from the olden days of youtube and the internet.

 

[yurinka]

Difference is that new technology replaced the need for expensive animals and made things more efficient, now it's replacing people.

It replaced the job of some humans with the jobs of way more humans, because involves a way more complex technology. Same happens with AI replacing a voice actor.

To make and sell a car gave job to way more people than to breeding or selling a horse and making or selling a carriage, which in many cases people did it themselves.

 

[Unknown?]

It replaced the job of some humans with the jobs of way more humans, because involves a way more complex technology. Same happens with AI replacing a voice actor.

To make and sell a car gave job to way more people than to breeding or selling a horse and making or selling a carriage, which in many cases people did it themselves.

True, but those jobs helped provide something of value to society. AI so far is making useless entertainment and incorrect answers and a sprinkle of cheating in school. It may have more use in the future.

 

[jonnyp]

The AI is probably a vast improvement on her annoying performance.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

 

[Raven117]

Man, time does fly by.
I still remember when she and her brother started their careers with "Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin'?"
Probably there is few people that still remember those, from the olden days of youtube and the internet.

I always found those at least mildly entertaining.

 

[Senua]

Man, time does fly by.
I still remember when she and her brother started their careers with "Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin'?"
Probably there is few people that still remember those, from the olden days of youtube and the internet.

Yea they were awful but more aimed at tweens I guess

 

[TommyCronin6969]

That Fat Aloy pic makes me laugh every single time

 

[ProtoByte]

Yeah, idk. Going on strike again might not be the best long term signal to send to publishers.

All the stuff about compensation and such is fair, but I imagine this is something that's going to have to be settled in Supreme Court or some shit for a long term definitive answer.

"A new generation of voice actors"
The unionization of VA has prevented that from happening for the last 15 years. It's an endless recycling of Laura Bailey, Travis Willingham, Matt Mercer, Troy Baker, Yuri Lowenthal, Ashley Burch and a dozen others who've monopolized VA since literally the PS2.

AI isn't going to help that, ofc, but it ain't hurting variety, as sad as that is to say.

 

[winjer]

Yea they were awful but more aimed at tweens I guess

I found them somewhat funny. Though this was the era of things like Angry Videogame Nerd, Stuttering Craig, etc.
It was a silly time. And it aged and became obsolete.

Still, it is somewhat amazing that a voice actor in videogames, started her career making silly videos on youtube, when this one was barely a thing.

 

[Senua]

I found them somewhat funny. Though this was the era of things like Angry Videogame Nerd, Stuttering Craig, etc.
It was a silly time. And it aged and became obsolete.

Still, it is somewhat amazing that a voice actor in videogames, started her career making silly videos on youtube, when this one was barely a thing.

AVGN was in a different league, he was so great back in those days but yea it is cool how she started

 

[MayauMiao]

It didn't help that Burch already sound like AI in HZD.

 

[mitch1971]

Hey Ash...whatcha not voicing?

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

AI could write a more interesting plot and dialogue than GG has through the first two games.

 

[Parazels]

I understand her concern, but I personally don't notice a difference between real and artificial voices.

 

[ArtHands]

The gameplay in the Horizon games already feels generic and AI, so no shock that the studio is going to double down on AI.

If she is so concern with AI taking over her job, she chose the wrong studio to work with.

 

[Closer]

On a side note, holy s* didn't know a Burch is the voice of Alloy. Love 'em.

 

[Biff]

I don't understand what SAG-AFTRA thinks their end game is?

This is 100% coming and the next generation of videogames will 100% use it.

There are probably 10,000 non-unionized voice actors desperate for a gig who will gladly sell their voice and face rights to a game, and let the developer artificially generate their performance however they see fit. Easy $10k or whatever they'd pay a non-union person.

And then, what, SAG-AFTRA... sends out a bunch of snarky tweets? Organizes a game boycott on discord? I just don't see their strategy here. I understand how Hollywood A-list actors would have enough power to fight this in films - Disney ain't risking the next $200M Marvel slop on some no-name actor. But video games? The star power of the actor just doesn't matter?

I dunno. I'm probably missing something. Help me understand.

 

[YCoCg]

Bad idea posting this on GAF, the usual response is that AI should take over other people's jobs, not their job though, just other people's.

 

[Loomy]

It replaced the job of some humans with the jobs of way more humans, because involves a way more complex technology. Same happens with AI replacing a voice actor.

To make and sell a car gave job to way more people than to breeding or selling a horse and making or selling a carriage, which in many cases people did it themselves.

What about the way any of this is being implemented makes you think there's a net positive for the average worker at the end of the road here? I'm not against technological advancement. I think it's awesome. But to say 'things change. People need to adapt' is choosing to dismiss actual legitimate concerns with what's happening right now.

So you're right. People no longer needed to breed, raise, and sell horses. They instead switched to working in factories making cars, etc. Where's the parallel to that today?

Let's focus on America, because that's where Ashly Burch is from. Let's play a game.

The US government refuses to do anything about the fact that a large portion of their population work for companies who do not feel the need to pay them a living wage. They refuse to acknowledge healthcare as a right and guarantee it for everyone, and instead reply on companies to be the primary provider of healthcare coverage for employees. That insurance is provided by insurance companies who go out of their way to deny people coverage. When people in government try to change that, they're met with resistance.

Regulations are seen as terrible things not because they are, but because companies lobby to have them talked about as such, and pay money to lawmakers to remove those regulations. Almost always at the detriment of their citizen. Those same companies make increasingly higher profits, pay people less, pay even less in taxes, and the government is gagging to make them pay even less. And that same government - "internet is a series of tubes" government - does not look like it even cares about putting guardrails around AI.

Now the AI revolution is being spearheaded by a few large corporations - Microsoft being at the forefront. Microsoft is the same company that laid off tens of thousands of people while their valuation doubled to over $4 trillion.

What about any of that makes you think humans and their wellbeing are being considered here? Once all factories are converted to robots, where do those workers go? Again, this is a country that is fighting against getting people out of coal mines and onto assembly lines for renewable projects. It's the same thing here. People are being sold on a change that will decimate their livelihood in a world that doesn't give a shit about them being able to provide for themselves and their families.

If she is so concern with AI taking over her job, she chose the wrong studio to work with.

This was not a thing 10 years ago when she started working on Horizon

I dunno. I'm probably missing something. Help me understand.

They have next to no power here, and the longer this goes on the less they have, but we can't expect people not to fight to protect their livelihoods.

 

[reinking]

I don't understand what SAG-AFTRA thinks their end game is?

This is 100% coming and the next generation of videogames will 100% use it.

There are probably 10,000 non-unionized voice actors desperate for a gig who will gladly sell their voice and face rights to a game, and let the developer artificially generate their performance however they see fit. Easy $10k or whatever they'd pay a non-union person.

And then, what, SAG-AFTRA... sends out a bunch of snarky tweets? Organizes a game boycott on discord? I just don't see their strategy here. I understand how Hollywood A-list actors would have enough power to fight this in films - Disney ain't risking the next $200M Marvel slop on some no-name actor. But video games? The star power of the actor just doesn't matter?

I dunno. I'm probably missing something. Help me understand.

If I work in any kind of voice acting, animation or writing, I would probably start looking for a backup career. Yes, it sucks and I feel for people that are going to be impacted but it looks like AI is coming for those jobs. I also understand fighting the good fight but, in the end even if deals are worked out, companies are going to find loopholes sooner rather than later.

It does suck, on a personal level, my daughter is in a similar scary situation with non-profits recently being in the cross hairs of "someone." We had a conversation and she is preparing herself if she needs another job. She currently has her BA in Nursing and working on her MS in Computer Science (completes in in Dec). Does she want to change careers (again)? No. Is she preparing for things that are beyond her control? Yes.

 

[{insert code here}]

It's inevitable. AI and robotics can't be stopped and everyone (literally everyone) is in the same boat and can either:
A.) complain about it and try to rally enough people to get it banned (won't work in the long run).
B.) accepting it and figuring out how to leverage it to build a new career for yourself.

That's an overly simplified model of what I see in our future. It's fucked, but it is what is. If narrowed to these two choices I think most people end up choosing option [A] to the detriment of everyone.

 

[Loomy]

Of course, IMO... If I work in any kind of voice acting, animation or writing, I would probably start looking for a backup career. Yes, it sucks and I feel for people that are going to be impacted but it looks like AI is coming for those jobs eventually. I also understand fighting the good fight but, in the end even if deals are worked out, companies are going to find loopholes sooner rather than later.

It does suck, on a personal level, my daughter is in a similar scary situation with non-profits recently being in the cross hairs of "someone." We had a conversation and she is preparing herself if she needs another job. She currently has her BA in Nursing and working on her MS in Computer Science (compeletes in in Dec). Does she want to change careers (again)? No. Is she preparing for things that are beyond her control? Yes.

That's the sad reality. Even if they score a victory here, it'll be a short 5-10 year contract and the next time it's up they won't get anything, because of how fast this is all moving.

 

[0neAnd0nly]

I certainly wouldn't like my potential contract employee to air their grievances to the press - might cause me to consider... Using someone or something else...

But I digress.

Entertainment industry is so friggin dumb.

 

[{insert code here}]

... But to say 'things change. People need to adapt' is choosing to dismiss actual legitimate concerns with what's happening right now.

Imo, the act of coming to terms with how things are changing and adapting to those changes is a direct, and appropriate response to what is happening. It's not being dismissive at all, it's being active in searching for a solution.

 

[chromatic9]

That was a tough read. Perhaps run it through AI next time.

 

[proandrad]

Can AI give Aloy a personality?

 

[yurinka]

True, but those jobs helped provide something of value to society. AI so far is making useless entertainment and incorrect answers and a sprinkle of cheating in school. It may have more use in the future.

If you really think this about AI, you have no fucking idea of the big amount of places where AI is being used and already is very useful.

If I work in any kind of voice acting, animation or writing, I would probably start looking for a backup career. Yes, it sucks and I feel for people that are going to be impacted but it looks like AI is coming for those jobs. I also understand fighting the good fight but, in the end even if deals are worked out, companies are going to find loopholes sooner rather than later.

It does suck, on a personal level, my daughter is in a similar scary situation with non-profits recently being in the cross hairs of "someone." We had a conversation and she is preparing herself if she needs another job. She currently has her BA in Nursing and working on her MS in Computer Science (completes in in Dec). Does she want to change careers (again)? No. Is she preparing for things that are beyond her control? Yes.

People from voice acting, animation or writing can learn this new tool and adapt themselves to use it on their favor, because it adds many new posibilities to their careers. Because to use the AI to get great results also require a lot of work and knowledge.

AI helps in many areas, accelerates or improves how some things are done. But doesn't do a final, professional job. It's good to do things like drafts that specialists later polish. Or allows creative people do stuff in new areas where they before needed a team to do other things. Example, now a voice actor can easily generate a fantasy photo of whatever and then shoot a video of himself/herself doing the acting of that scene, and use the AI to animate the image. So a voice actor could make shortfilms herself/himself.

Same goes with writers, can use AI for brainstorming or get suggestions when stuck, or to get synonyms, research about topics and a lot of other things. Can also use it to illustrate concepts or ideas of the stories either for a book or when writing for a game to explain their ideas to the team, etc.

 

[Hugare]

Usually I would agree.

But Aloy as a character is so terribly stilted and one note, that I dont doubt that even GPT 1 would be able to make a impression

Ashly Burch is an amazing VA, and even still, she wasnt able to save this character.

 

[BbMajor7th]

A lot of that is on the director more than the voice actor. I did some theater when I was young and remember having to lines over and over again until I got it right for the director.

Yup, this is mostly voice direction, which is informed in turn by the game direction. The script is also a massive pile of wank. Not sure these actors ever had a chance.

Japanese game directors still insist on constant anime grunts in English dubs, even though it makes zero sense. Not saying there aren't crummy VAs out there, but it's a tough place to do your best work.

 

[EN250]

She should be worried the moment IA is capable of making her character's personality more than a plank of wood

 

[Haint]

No company in their right mind is going to pay these self aggrandizing egotistical clowns $100's of thousands of dollars to read some lines into a can when 5 seconds of GPU time can spit out a comparable or better result. You've milked and been celebrated for the most first world of first world cushy ass over compensated professions in the history of the world, but it's coming to an end.

 

[yurinka]

What about the way any of this is being implemented makes you think there's a net positive for the average worker at the end of the road here? I'm not against technological advancement. I think it's awesome. But to say 'things change. People need to adapt' is choosing to dismiss actual legitimate concerns with what's happening right now.

So you're right. People no longer needed to breed, raise, and sell horses. They instead switched to working in factories making cars, etc. Where's the parallel to that today?

Let's focus on America, because that's where Ashly Burch is from. Let's play a game.



What about any of that makes you think humans and their wellbeing are being considered here? Once all factories are converted to robots, where do those workers go? Again, this is a country that is fighting against getting people out of coal mines and onto assembly lines for renewable projects. It's the same thing here. People are being sold on a change that will decimate their livelihood in a world that doesn't give a shit about them being able to provide for themselves and their families.


This was not a thing 10 years ago when she started working on Horizon



They have next to no power here, and the longer this goes on the less they have, but we can't expect people not to fight to protect their livelihoods.

'People has to learn and adapt' has been something that always applied to tech and gamedev. Every few years there has been always new tech and tool that changed the paradigm of how many things were done.

And people had to learn, improve and adapt if wanted to continue, or hire specialists in whatever new area, specially when working at a top companies. And obviously it caused that many people changed their specialization and learned other areas. It has been always something mandatory, if not you're done.

Same goes to that people from the factory that (or will be or were) replaced by robots. As happens with Ashly's gaming voice actress job, that factory job didn't exist some years before, people did things in another way or did other things.

Some time ago factories didn't exist, or videogames had no voices or just a glibberish, so dialogs were just in text, and animations were hand made instead of mocapped. People did work in the old stuff adapted and continues working on writing or animation, or moved to something else. Same goes with people from factories.

And at the same time, there are different styles: in the same way that people can use Photoshop to draw but people does and values a painting done in the artisan way that was made centuries ago, same happens with games and with many other things. I mean, in the era of AI, RT, RTGI and NFT I work in some pixel art games, even for 8 or 16 bit ocnsoles.

 

[alphachino]

i been unknowingly listening to hours of ai narration on yt and it is unbelievably good. the only reason i found out was misprnounciation of some names, otherwise its perfect. i'd happily have it in a game as long as it's properly edited.

 

[Loomy]

'People has to learn and adapt' has been something that always applied to tech and gamedev. Every few years there has been always new tech and tool that changed the paradigm of how many things were done.

And people had to learn, improve and adapt if wanted to continue, or hire specialists in whatever new area, specially when working at a top companies. And obviously it caused that many people changed their specialization and learned other areas. It has been always something mandatory, if not you're done.

Same goes to that people from the factory that (or will be or were) replaced by robots. As happens with Ashly's gaming voice actress job, that factory job didn't exist some years before, people did things in another way or did other things.

Some time ago factories didn't exist, or videogames had no voices or just a glibberish, so dialogs were just in text, and animations were hand made instead of mocapped. People did work in the old stuff adapted and continues working on writing or animation, or moved to something else. Same goes with people from factories.

And at the same time, there are different styles: in the same way that people can use Photoshop to draw but people does and values a painting done in the artisan way that was made centuries ago, same happens with games and with many other things. I mean, in the era of AI, RT, RTGI and NFT I work in some pixel art games, even for 8 or 16 bit ocnsoles.

Everything you said is true. And maybe I misread your original comment.

What I'm trying to get at is there are (in North America) 3 or 4 companies positioned to completely dominate in this new area. Which is fine, they got there first or had enough money to pivot in the case of Meta. Nothing wrong with that.

The problem is a lot of people who have been doing the same job for decades are going to find themselves out of a job with no safety net whatsoever because we live in world that doesn't value people and generally doesn't care about workers.

I remember back when we all thought automation and AI would take over menial tasks leaving people with free time to be more creative. Now every other AI model that is put out there is doing those same jobs that artists and designers do. Worse yet, they're being trained on the work of those artists and designers.

 

[R6Rider]

they're being trained on the work of those artists and designers.

This is the fucked up part about it.

Or even more fucked up is that people are okay with it.

 

[gooner4life_uk]

guys, hear me out, I'm worried that video game companies won't use voice actors anymore because of AI, so what we're going to do is go on strike, to delay games, which definitely won't make video game companies decide to use AI voice actors in the future.

dumb cunts.

 

[Pejo]

Probably not a nuanced take, but I don't care . With English VAs and English Localizers, I am totally fine replacing most of them with AI. JP VA's actually put effort and feeling into their roles, so I'd like to see them stay. Even though I only understand a little Japanese, I can still tell what the characters are going through just by the emotion and delivery of the lines. There's no reason that more English VAs can't do the same thing, they just don't.

Don't get me started on this recent SAG AFTRA strike shit. Several games I play have had 2-3 patches with major story events that are either half or completely unvoiced in English because the SAG wants ALL the money/opportunities from video games and even non-members are refusing to do voice work so they don't get blackballed by SAG jobs if they >might< get offered a job in the future. No love for the artistry or respect for the fans of their related IPs.

There are only a handful of big name English VAs that I would say consistently do a good job, but those people are good enough to not be affected by AI to begin with, since people will still want premier actors for important roles, even in a world of AI.

 

[SJRB]

Pout all you want but this is going to happen, and it is going to happen sooner rather than later.