Horizon series voice actor Ashly Burch has responded to the leaked AI-generated Aloy demo video, leveraging the incident to highlight key concerns of the striking voice acting community.
Last week, The Verge uncovered an internal Sony presentation featuring AI-powered interactions with Horizon's protagonist Aloy. Sony has not provided comment to IGN regarding the technology showcase.
The now-removed video featured Sony Interactive Entertainment engineering director Sharwin Raghoebardajal conversing with an AI-generated Aloy through voice commands, synthetic speech, and digital facial animations. When asked how she was doing, the virtual Aloy responded: "Hello, I'm managing alright. Just dealing with a sore throat. How have you been?"
Notably, the voice emitted differed significantly from Burch's performance, resembling standard text-to-speech output. The digital Aloy's facial animations appeared rigid, with notably artificial eye movements during the exchange.
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Burch - who has portrayed Aloy across four Horizon titles including Zero Dawn, Forbidden West, Call of the Mountain, and Lego Horizon Adventures - confirmed via TikTok that developer Guerrilla contacted her to clarify the demo didn't represent active development nor incorporated any of her performance data. This likely precludes AI Aloy's inclusion in the upcoming multiplayer title or Horizon 3, though Burch emphasized Guerrilla and Sony retain full character ownership.
The incident prompted Burch to express concerns about "the artistic integrity of performance in games," while highlighting core demands of SAG-AFTRA's ongoing strike, which has disrupted several major productions in recent weeks.
SAG-AFTRA recently updated members regarding stalled negotiations concerning AI protections for performers, reporting significant divisions remain between the union and industry representatives on critical issues.
"Our demands are clear: consent for any AI replication, fair compensation, and transparency about usage," Burch stated. "My concern isn't the technology's existence or studios' interest - that's inevitable. The real danger is performers losing protection against unauthorized use of their likeness or voice, leaving them without recourse."
Burch emphasized her commitment to preserving performance careers for future generations, stressing: "Without these protections, the artistic future we love becomes threatened. I fully support this strike as necessary to safeguard our industry."
She pointed to existing interim contracts offering the requested protections, available for immediate adoption by any studio: "The tiered and low-budget agreements already exist - we simply deserve these baseline protections."
@ashly.burch let us speak on AI aloy
♬ original sound - Ashly Burch
Generative AI remains a contentious issue across entertainment sectors facing significant workforce reductions. Ethical concerns, creative limitations, and audience reception challenges persist, exemplified by Keywords Studios' failed attempt to develop an entirely AI-generated game, which investors acknowledged couldn't replace human talent.
Nevertheless, major publishers continue implementing AI tools. Activision recently confirmed using generative AI for select Black Ops 6 assets, though faced criticism for an AI-generated loading screen. The SAG-AFTRA strike has already impacted titles like Destiny 2 and World of Warcraft, with noticeable voice acting omissions in previously fully voiced content.
Recent controversies include Riot Games' alleged strike circumvention attempt regarding League of Legends and multiple Zenless Zone Zero performers discovering their replacement via patch notes. PlayStation executive Asad Qizilbash recently defended AI implementation as essential for younger demographics seeking personalized experiences, suggesting NPC interactions could adapt dynamically to player behavior.
