Remember that whole strike thing? What the fuck was that for again?
There’s no going back once you open that gate. This is fucking depressing.
This IS good though? This is regulation, which is exactly what EVERYONE anti-ai has been fighting for.
Before, studios could do basically whatever they wanted with AI because it was unregulated. That was the problem. Now, they can use it (which I understand why people don’t like), BUT it has to be an agreed to contract by the voice actor contributing their voice to it.
Before, studios could do shit like record the lines for the game, and then use AI training on an actors voice to have them provide more voice acting without any compensation, in perpetuity. Which was fucking awful and the entire reason this was being fought against.
Now, however, the studios can only do it with the actors permission and only in limited capacities within scope of the contract, putting the power in the actors hands. Stuff like “Hey we changed this one line. Do you want to come in and do another take for 1 line, or do you want us to just fake it with AI?” While people might not agree with the second choice, it is now just that, a CHOICE. A choice the ACTOR can make. THAT IS IN FACT A GOOD THING.
Treating this like the strikes were pointless and absolutely no ground was won is an INCREDIBLY bad faith reading of it.
There’s currently an outpouring of voice actors on twitter at the moment saying they don’t know anyone who was consulted by the union on this decision. They feel like they’ve been fucked over.
AI VA will make games worse. People in the industry are losing their jobs left, right and centre because of it. A few people benefiting from having the choice doesn’t mean shit when loads of people never get their chance because a studio prefers using AI instead.
This isn’t a win by any stretch of the imagination. It boosts the acceptability of AI in games under the guise of VA’s having freedom, and it makes the medium worse.
