Voice Actors Versus AI In Modern Games
Voice actors and videogame studios are in a tense stand off right now. At the center of the conflict is artificial intelligence, and how some executives see it as a shortcut to cheaper performances.
There have already been strikes and heated debates about AI being used to copy or extend an actor’s performance without fairly paying them. Some studio heads are openly excited by the idea of capturing a voice once and then using AI to generate infinite dialogue and reactions. For them it sounds efficient. For performers it feels like their craft and even their likeness could be taken over by machines.
The strange part is that most players clearly care about human performances. You can see that especially with Baldur’s Gate 3. Its cast has become a huge part of why people love the game, turning certain actors into community icons. Names like Neil Newbon and Amelia Tyler are now strongly associated with their characters and with the success of the game as a whole.
This shows a clear disconnect. While some studio leaders are dreaming about AI driven voice work, the audience is praising human actors and the personality they bring to the experience.
The Disconnect Between Developers And Performers
During the Golden Joystick Awards, Samantha Béart, who plays Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3, spoke about this disconnect. In a conversation with GamesRadar, Béart said they feel many developers do not view voice actors as part of the core development team. Instead they are often treated as an outsourced service that is slotted in near the end of a project.
Players on the other hand see them very differently. For a lot of fans, the voice actors are the face and personality of the game, much like actors in film or TV. They are at the front of marketing, community discussions and fan art. When someone thinks of a favorite character, the performance is usually what comes to mind first.
Some of this difference in attitude comes from how varied voice acting work can be from project to project. Charlie Cox, who voices Gustave in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, has explained that he did not actually spend a huge amount of time in the recording booth for that game. He has repeatedly pushed attention toward mocap performer Maxence Cazorla, saying that this physical performance played a huge role in bringing the character to life.
In titles like Baldur’s Gate 3 things are very different. The cast did extensive motion capture alongside voice work. They worked closely with writers, bounced ideas back and forth, and helped shape the way their characters behaved and developed. Their involvement was closer to co creating characters than simply reading lines in a booth.
Other times, as with Cox’s work on Expedition 33, the job can be just a few days of recording. You show up, deliver strong line readings, collect your paycheck and move on. Later you might be surprised to discover fans treating you as the definitive voice of a character you barely had time to get to know yourself.
Because the nature of the job changes from game to game, some studio leaders underestimate how important acting can be. That attitude has led to some extremely dismissive comments. One CEO claimed that AI was not really a threat to actors in games because games supposedly do not really have acting. For anyone who has experienced a story heavy RPG, that statement rings false.
Fighting For Recognition In The Gaming Industry
Voice and performance capture actors have been fighting for better treatment since long before AI became a hot topic. They have dealt with weak contracts, lack of residuals, and not being credited or promoted properly. Now AI tools are adding a new layer of risk, as studios experiment with ways to stretch or synthesize performances.
Samantha Béart suggests that one of the best tools performers have is the same environment they help energize: social media and online algorithms. They believe that by leaning into fan support and visibility, actors can push back against the idea that they are replaceable outsourcers.
Every time clips of powerful performances go viral, or fans share emotional reactions to a character’s journey, it reinforces the value of real acting in games. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a great example. Its characters are the foundation of countless memes, fan edits, theory videos and discussion threads. This public attention makes it much harder for executives to argue that acting is not a core part of modern game development.
For players, this conversation matters more than it might seem at first. AI tools can be impressive, but right now they tend to feel flat and generic, especially in story driven games. The quirks, timing and emotional nuance that make a character memorable are still strongly tied to human performers.
When studios respect that and invite actors into the creative process, you get the kind of standout performances that define a generation of games. When they do not, you get forgettable dialogue that players click past without thinking.
The friction between AI and human performers is not going away. But as long as players continue to celebrate the actors behind their favorite characters, and those actors keep using their online reach to highlight their work, it will be difficult for the industry to quietly replace them with algorithms.
For anyone who loves PC gaming and story heavy RPGs, supporting credited human performances is one of the most direct ways to make sure future games keep their heart and personality.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/baldurs-gate/voice-actor-for-baldurs-gate-3s-karlach-says-were-still-seen-as-outsources-in-game-dev-theres-a-weird-disconnect/
