Making the rounds on various outlets last week was a leaked internal video from Sony of an AI-powered version of Horizon: Zero Dawn’s Aloy speaking to an unseen person. Never meant to be seen by the public, the video was inevitably viewed by millions and even eventually scrubbed from YouTube by Sony via DMCA complaints. The general reaction was disgust, but many were curious about what Aloy actor Ashly Burch felt about the concept. Unsurprisingly, she isn’t a fan.
Across her social media platforms this weekend, Burch posted a video of her laying out her thoughts about the AI-Aloy demo shared on the internet. While she isn’t necessarily worried about her career, her performance, or even Guerilla Games as a whole, she stated she is “worried about this art form.” The Verge has a full transcript of her video, but one of the key points she brings up is how SAG-AFTRA is currently on strike specifically about AI being used to replace video game actors.
“I love this industry and this art form so much and I want there to be a new generation of actors,” Burch states. “I want there to be so many more incredible game performances. I want to be able to continue to do this job, and if we don’t win, then that future is really compromised.” She’s not wrong and in a longer video on her TikTok, she explains that she doesn’t think the technology is the problem. She believes the real problem is that actors are currently on strike and companies are not willing to give “common sense protections” for workers.
@ashly.burchlet us speak on AI aloy
I would not want to see AI used in any way, shape, or form, but Burch does note that companies are obviously going to use this technology. For her, she wants to ensure that people don’t lose jobs because of it. I can’t fault that and I do hope that as AI continues to “improve,” the government steps up with regulations that will prevent the loss of workforce.
Leave a Comment
Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
