‘Halo’ Actor Steve Downes Does not Need You to AI Clone HIs Voice

Steve Downes, the longtime voice actor of Halo protagonist Grasp Chief, has referred to as on followers to not use generative AI to duplicate his voice.

In a YouTube AMA, Downes admitted that he’s seen movies on-line the place his voice has been recreated utilizing the controversial expertise. Whereas he typically considers voice cloning to be “innocent,” he acknowledged that it may simply backslide and “deprive an actor of [their] work.”

As such, he would like “it not be carried out [to me]. There’s quite a lot of fan tasks which might be actually cool and carried out simply from the guts. However while you get to the AI half and deceiving any individual that these are strains I truly spoke…that’s the place we cross a line that will get into an space I’m uncomfortable with.”

Latest years have seen voice actors categorical concern about using generative AI in VO. Final 12 months, a leaked Sony take a look at demo featured a take a look at bot that had the voice of Aloy, the lead of the Horizon video games, that was made with genAI. Aloy’s actor Ashly Burch then launched a video saying she’d been knowledgeable that the Aloy bot was purely for demonstrative functions and wasn’t made utilizing her face or voice knowledge. Even so, she mentioned she was “frightened” concerning the artwork type of sport performances and the way this expertise may have an effect on voice actors under her.

Halo is owned by Xbox, whose mum or dad firm Microsoft has been progressively going all-in on generative AI in its manufacturing pipeline and merchandise. It’s partnered with generative AI corporations to create tools meant to help with sides of sport growth, which has garnered criticism amongst builders and gamers. It’s been murky whether or not the upcoming Halo: Marketing campaign Developed was made with genAI: final 12 months, an insider alleged it was, however Halo Studios has been considerably evasive, as a substitute saying there was no requirement to make use of expertise a few of its employees think about “a device in a toolbox.”

[via IGN]

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