Ark Raiders could afford to "redo" AI voice lines, says Neil Newbone

Arc Raiders is a game about humans pushing back against machines trying to replace them, but in a twist of irony, the game itself used AI instead of human voices, sparking a fiery debate around the practice.

Embark tried to eliminate feedback by saying that it allowed each actor to use their likeness, and that it was easier to use an AI-based text-to-speech program than to book new recording sessions. Many were unhappy with these excuses, worrying that such a practice would only normalize AI and risk cutting artists out of the creative process altogether in the future.

PCGamesN sat down with actor Neil Newbone, who has been steadfast in his anti-AI stance over the past few years, to discuss this debate between the likes of Ark Raiders, Where the Winds Meet, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, and he's equally unconvinced by these justifications.

“The amount of money to do those voice lines is peanuts compared to the rest of the game's development,” he argued, adding that while he couldn't comment on Ark Riders' specifics, using AI to manipulate someone's voice was “robbing the artist of that day's fee”.

“Most artists, notoriously, are not rich,” Newbone continued. “Many of us struggle our entire careers.”

“Take them to the booth and re-record that stuff”

A close up of a troubled Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3.

In fact, Newbon argues that, if a game does Use AI voice acting as a way to save money and time, developers have to go back and re-record those lines with human voices if the game proves successful, which Arc Raiders apparently was, with four million copies sold and an all-time peak of over 480,000 players.

“When a game is successful, I don't really understand why [developers] Don't go, 'Well, we didn't have the ability to do it back then – it was too much or too difficult – but now that we're so successful, why don't we go back and actually redo the lines with the actors?' That is an option; I'm just saying,” Newbone explained.

Maybe find a way, now that you've earned your money, to go back to those lines and do it better.

While this won't remain true forever, as AI continues to improve at an alarming pace, Newbon notes that right now, AI voices are unreliable, and pale in comparison to actual performance. Going back to text-to-speech lines not only makes the game better, but strengthens the title's longevity.

Most actors, like award-winning Jennifer English, started with small parts; Replacing these minor roles with AI risks raising actors from beneath.

“I don't care about generative AI, because it sounds like crap,” he said. “No matter how advanced, it still doesn't sound right. And I'd say to anyone who's releasing generative AI for voice: maybe go back to those actors for whatever money you paid to clone their voices, maybe get them in the booth and re-record that stuff. Just saying. You've got money, now have money.”