After a leaked Sony artificial intelligence experiment was released onto the Internet featuring an AI-generated version of Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn, Ashly Burch shared here thoughts in an official statement. Burch is the award-winning performer behind the voice and motion capture of Aloy in Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Zero Dawn series. She has confirmed that she nor Guerrilla weren’t involved with the Playstation Sony AI experiment and there is no active development on the project. Burch also cited that her facial data nor her voice are used in the AI prototype and she noted that the demo made her worried about her own career as well as the many video game actors who are currently on strike with SAG-AFTRA against AI.
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The internal Sony tech demo that was released on YouTube has since been taken down due to copyright, but the video showcases an AI-powered Aloy created by PlayStation Stuidos’ advanced technology group, which lists Sony Interactive Entertainment as a client. While the video itself seems to be based on a real demo within Sony, it strikes a chord with many given its implications of AI rights and regulations. In the video, software engineer director Sharwin Raghoebardajal chats with Aloy through AI-generated speech via voice prompts. When it comes to the technology used, it’s through OpenAI’s Whisper for speech-to-text as well as Sony’s Emotional Voice Synthesis system and Sony’s Mockingbird technology for facial animation.
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This leak was a tough pill for voice actors to swallow, given the ongoing strike against this issue with SAG-AFTRA, which is focused on getting improved protections over the use of artificial intelligence. As it is tough for someone like Burch to speak out about the ongoing AI situation, given her work with some of these video game companies, the issue allowed Burch to address the Aloy video and call to action. In a social media video posted by Burch, she expressed her worry about the advancements of AI and its possibility of taking jobs without their consent. She states,
“I feel worried about this art form. Game performance as an art form…We are currently on strike…Because this technology exists, because we know that game companies want to use it, we’re asking for protections,” Burch said.
It’s not hard to see how AI is being used by major companies, which won’t change anytime soon. With this being said, how performers are treated in the use of AI is a valuable initiative. To give a clearer picture of the issues that lie in the technological advancements being used for purposes seen in Sony’s leak, Burch states,
“I just imagine a video like this coming out that does have someone’s performance attached to it,” Burch continued. “That does have someone’s voice or face or movement. And the possibility that if we lose this fight, that person would have no recourse. They wouldn’t have any protections. Any way to fight back…It scares me.”
Burch reiterates her love for the gaming industry and hopes that a deal can be reached to instate clear rules regarding the use of AI in performances and to continue the art form that has been going on for decades.
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Image courtesy of Walt Disney Animation
