Ashly Burch, known for bringing Aloy to life in Horizon Forbidden West, recently shared her thoughts on a PlayStation demonstration involving AI technology. This development, detailed by The Verge, features a project led by Sharwin Raghoebardajal from PlayStation’s Advanced Technology Group, where Aloy interacts using Sony tech alongside GPT-4 and Llama 3.
Taking to Instagram, Burch explained that while Guerrilla Games assured her this demo doesn’t connect to any current projects, nor did it use her previous performances as training data, she remains uneasy. “I’m not just worried for Guerrilla, or specifically about Horizon, or even about my own roles,” she clarified, sharing her broader concerns for the art of storytelling in games. It’s a poignant reminder that the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike is heavily tied to issues surrounding AI.
The union is pushing for companies to seek explicit consent and provide fair compensation when creating AI replicas of actors, with transparency on how these replicas will be used. Burch emphasized that her concern isn’t the existence or potential use of AI by gaming companies, which naturally want to harness new technological breakthroughs. Instead, her worry is about what happens if a similar demo one day features a real actor’s performance — voice, likeness, and movement included — without proper consent or fair compensation.
“The mere thought of that happening is heart-wrenching,” Burch said. “I cherish this industry and want future talents to thrive just as I’ve had the opportunity to. Without success in these negotiations, that future we dream of is in jeopardy.”
Burch, who’s also gained recognition as Tiny Tina in the Borderlands saga and Chloe Price in Life is Strange, further expands her talents on the tabletop series Critical Role and the Apple TV series Mythic Quest.
In the larger gaming landscape, discussions about generative AI’s role continue to grow. Companies are charging ahead with advancements, and sometimes the term “AI” can be maddeningly broad. Microsoft recently launched Copilot for Gaming — an Xbox assistant designed to help with game setup, provide player tips, and recap past gaming activities.
Earlier, Microsoft introduced Muse, an AI capable of generating playable, low-res gameplay segments. Tasked with aiding rapid content creation and testing, this tech is part of Microsoft’s strategy for the future of gaming.
Even Activision found itself in the spotlight, revealing the use of generative AI on Steam, something players had suspected in recent game releases. As a passionate advocate for narrative-driven games and the extraordinary performances within them, Burch’s concerns are ones that resonate deeply with many in the industry.
My hope is steadfast: actors deserve a fair agreement ensuring that if AI is integrated with their performances, it is done ethically and with appropriate compensation. It’s a complex battle but an essential one that needs to be fought.
Currently, both Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered and Horizon Forbidden West can be enjoyed on Windows PC and PlayStation 5.
