Sony's AI Aloy Video Creates Concern For 'Horizon' Actor Ashly Burch

Video Games

Mar 16

Amid the SAG-AFTRA video game strikes, leaked footage from Sony showed Horizon character Aloy with generative AI technology. The AI model would respond to inquiries with a robotic text-to-speech voice, ensuring none of Ashly Burch’s performance was used. Burch is the normal voice behind the Aloy character. Responding to the video, Burch expressed concern about the use of AI in this field. She said, 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 no recourse.”

Burch tied her response to the current strikes while being careful not to blame the game companies. She explained, “I'm genuinely not trying to put any game company specifically on blast, certainly not Guerrilla, because again, I don't think... the technology isn't the problem. Game companies wanting to use the technology isn't the problem. The problem is we are currently on strike and the bargaining group will not agree to give us common sense protections.” This kind of situation leads video game voice actors and motion capture actors to worry that their job could be replaced or that their performance may be used indefinitely without further compensation. Until the companies and the union come to an agreement, AI will remain a key point of contention in the ongoing strike.