CD Projekt and Nintendo say „no” to artificial intelligence, but the CEO of ARC Raiders publisher seems sure: „Every company uses AI”

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ARC Raiders launched on October 30th and quickly became popular, though it hasn’t been without its problems. A key point of discussion has been the game’s use of voices created using artificial intelligence.

The problem became so widespread that Nexon’s CEO, Junghun Lee, had to respond publicly. He defended the company, explaining that using AI is standard practice throughout the gaming industry and there was nothing to apologize for.

It’s safe to say that all game companies are now using artificial intelligence. Since everyone has access to similar tools, the key to success is figuring out how to stand out from the crowd. Choosing a strategy that makes your company more competitive is crucial.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=DM@x9r10cy

Ethical AI or a clever ploy? Controversies around the voices in ARC Raiders

This statement may seem strong, but the game developers weren’t always so confident in their vision.

  1. Some time ago, the lead designer, Virgil Watkins, assured that there was nothing in the game that was generated by AI, stating only that machine learning was used to design the movement of large robots. One of the studio presidents, Stefan Strandberg, said something similar.
  2. However, a bit later, the ARC Raiders page on Steam mentioned that AI was used to create various elements of the game. Here, the devs had no choice because Steam’s rules require the disclosure of such facts.
  3. It was later revealed that the title also uses AI-generated voices. This shouldn’t be a surprise, as it was exactly the same in the case of The Finals. However, it should be noted that the way it was done is different than usual. Instead of using AI to completely replace actors, Embark Studio hired them for recording sessions and paid them to create AI models that mimic their voices. The devs explain that this is particularly useful in a game-as-a-service, as such projects are continuously developed, and this way, there’s no need to record new lines every time.
  4. However, the creators didn’t work together with actors who are members of the SAG-AFTRA union. This is a big deal because this group managed to strike a deal with publishers like Activision, EA, and Take-Two about using AI. Basically, even if an actor agrees to have their voice cloned, they still get paid for any new lines generated, just like they would if they recorded them in person. There is no indication that Nexon and Embark Studios have shown similar generosity.

According to the developers, they appear to be using a clever argument. Their AI models and tools are built using data they either created themselves or purchased.

This model avoids the ethical problems of many AIs, as it wasn’t built using data without permission – which is great. However, being a generative AI doesn’t solve concerns about potential job displacement.

Tim Sweeney vs. Eurogamer

A recent Eurogamer review sparked controversy over the voice acting in the game ARC Raiders, resulting in a poor score of 2 out of 5 stars. The developers received considerable criticism for their use of AI voices.

Tim Sweeney, the head of Epic Games, expressed his disapproval, arguing that reviews shouldn’t include political viewpoints. This stance was met with confusion, as all reviews inherently reflect the reviewer’s personal opinions, and it wasn’t clear what Sweeney considered political about the review in question.

So, the CEO said that new tech will actually make games better, and competition will push AI to do that, not replace developers. It sounds amazing, and honestly, I’d love to see it happen. But it’s hard to be optimistic, especially with everything going on in the gaming industry and tech in general right now. Right now, it feels like AI is mostly being used as an excuse for layoffs. Plus, let’s be real, AI voices still aren’t as good as real actors, so the idea that it’ll lead to ‘better games’ feels a little off, at least for the time being.

This situation clearly demonstrates the strong feelings people have about this issue. The financial benefits of using AI are significant, and it’s likely many more companies will adopt these technologies. However, it’s hard to have an unbiased discussion because everyone has something at stake. Company leaders are motivated to cut costs, even if it impacts quality, and developers understandably worry about how AI might affect their jobs, making it difficult for them to see the potential benefits of increased efficiency.

The Nexon CEO’s recent comments don’t really make sense. The gaming world is huge and diverse, so it’s natural that some developers will choose not to use AI. For example, CD Projekt Red has stated they aren’t using AI for The Witcher 4, and Nintendo has said the same, though both companies admit this could change. We’re seeing a similar trend in film and TV, with productions like Pluribus openly stating they created their work without any AI assistance.

  1. ARC Raiders on Steam

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2025-11-12 19:03