Horizon voice actor Ashly Burch speaks out about leaked AI tech demo of her character and calls for AI protection for game actors.
Voice actor Ashly Burch, known for her role as Aloy in Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West, shared her response to a controversial AI tech demo of her character leaked last week and, unsurprisingly, it has her worried about the future of the gaming industry.
Burch explained in a TikTok video, « Gorilla reached out to me to let me know that the demo didn’t reflect anything that was actively in development. They didn’t use any of my performance for the demo, so none of my facial or voice data. »
« All that said, I feel worried. And not worried about Gorilla specifically or Horizon or my performance or my career specifically, even. I feel worried about this art form, game performance as an art form. »
Burch’s response comes amidst an ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike hinging on protections for actors from the use of AI to replace them in the gaming industry.
SAG-AFTRA fought a similar battle in the film and TV industry back in 2023 alongside the Writers Guild of America. Now, video game voice and motion capture actors are also striking to protect their careers and the future of their industry from AI.
Ashly Burch summed up the situation in her video, stating, « The technology isn’t the problem, game companies wanting to use the technology isn’t the problem.
