With the rise of AI in the 21st century, the gaming world has also adopted the technology in developing games. However, with the growing usage of AI, concerns over job opportunities are increasing as well.
This trend has also reached Apex Legends, EA’s battle royale title, as its developers have introduced a mandate in new contracts requiring French voice actors to train AI.
However, the entire team of French voice actors has quit Apex Legends. Since they believe this mandate could reduce their chances of employment, as the franchise may opt for AI-generated voices in the future.
Importance: Many people are supporting the cast’s decision to step away from Apex Legends, raising questions for Respawn Entertainment and advocating for the significance of human talent. Supporters argue that the real voice actors bring emotions and unique qualities to the game—something AI can’t replicate.
Apex Legends French Voice Actors Quit To Protect Their Jobs Against AI
The news was revealed by Pascal Chemin, the French voice actor for Wraith in Apex Legends. In an Instagram post, Chemin shared detailed information about a contract clause to allow AI to be trained by voice actors to generate artificial voiceovers.
However, the message did not explicitly state that the game in question is Apex Legends, though Chemin tagged other voice actors from the game, making it clear that she was referring to Apex Legends.
She announced that, besides herself, 31 other French voice actors have quit the game. Her message confirms that a new contract with a mandate was put forward by the franchise, which meant giving up all rights to their voices. A collective refusal letter has been written to the franchise and is awaiting a response.
The translated and summarized version of her post says:
Without hesitation, the 31 other voice actors also refused to sign this annex. We drafted a collective letter of refusal, sent it to the publisher, and are now awaiting a response. If we don’t stand together now to ensure that a clause protecting our voices is officially included in our contracts—not just for us, but for all video game dubbing studios—this issue could set a dangerous precedent.” — Pascale Chemin
Full translation is available on Reddit.
Threat To Rights and Voice-over Job Scarcity
The French cast made their decision after consulting lawyers, who highlighted the consequences of the mandate. The vaguely stated clause could allow studios to train AI models, possibly depriving them of their rights and future compensations.
At the end she also highlights the scarcity of work for voice actors and insists that agreeing to an annex that could ultimately replace them is unacceptable. Although EA has yet to respond, the actors’ unity might favor them.
What are your thoughts on the implementation of AI in game development? Share your opinions in the comments below!
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