The entire French cast of Apex Legends voice actors has refused a new contract as they’re concerned about how EA will use AI to mimic their voices.
Apex Legends Voice Actors
The use of AI in various pieces of art has long been a contentious topic and Apex Legends is no exception. Recently, the game and its publisher, Electronic Arts have been caught in the middle of this discussion as the entire French voice cast for the game has turned down new contracts. The reason – a clause that gives EA broad rights over the actors’ voices, including the possibility of AI replication.
The possibility of the actors losing potential future contracts to AI versions of themselves did not seem to sit well with them, so they turned down the offer. Pascale Chemin who voices Wraith is leading the charge as all 32 members of the Apex Legends French voice cast have refused to sign the contract.
In an Instagram post, Chemin explained the situation she and her colleagues are in. She wrote that the studio sent her and the 31 other French actors confidentiality and transfer annex from the publisher directly via email. For Chemin and her colleagues to be called into work, they have to accept these clauses.
However, this is where the catch is. “At first glance, they are not acceptable, which was confirmed by a legal expert specializing in audiovisual law,” Chemin said. “I am forced to ‘let go’ of the role I’ve been voicing for almost 6 years. In no way can I ‘force’ the rest of the cast to do the same, but one thing is certain: If we all refuse, it could have an impact.”
Following this, she and the other Apex Legends voice actors refused to sign and wrote a collective refusal, sent it to the publisher, and are now waiting for a response.
AI’s Risks Destroying Voice Actors’ Jobs
Cases like this outline a concerning trend in the gaming industry (and other entertainment industries for that matter), where voice actors could be completely replaced with AI in the future. It is arguably cheaper to have a voice actor just make enough lines for a good sample to train an AI version of them, than to actually pay them over and over again for different jobs. In addition, AI voices could be used without the voice actors’ permission in the future.
Today’s market is already quite volatile, and there’s already somewhat of a shortage of work for actors. Chemin said so in her statement as well, saying it’s absurd to refuse the work proposed right now. However, she also said that “we’re not just being asked to work; we’re being asked to give up our know-how to train generative AI that will replace us tomorrow. We’re being asked to accept what we’re fighting against.”
It’s still unknown how EA will respond. However, this case might be a negative blow to the reputation of Apex Legends, which has already seen a significant drop in players over the past year. Only time will tell how the gaming industry as a whole will adapt to the ever-increasing presence of AI in the creative process.
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