Early in March 2025, Sony caught significant flack when a leaked video revealed it was experimenting with an AI version of Aloy from Horizon, seemingly as a potential interactive tool for players. A video, which was not meant for public consumption, featured a version of Aloy with an AI-generated voice responding to questions from a demonstrator, in very stilted fashion. Now, Aloy’s voice actor has spoken out about this creation, expressing great concern for the future of voice acting, as a whole.
As confirmed by Burch, this version of Aloy is not voiced by her, and she was seemingly not aware of the tech demo until it surfaced online. Following this leak, Guerrilla Games did actually reach out to her to let her know “that the demo didn’t reflect anything that was actively in development.” The studio also confirmed that none of Burch’s performance was used for the demo, including her facial or voice data.
Rather, Aloy was simply used as a generic example of what an AI character could deliver to players, serving as a hollow shell to interact with. Regardless of this reassurance, and regardless that the AI was so unconvincing it was widely laughed at, Burch has expressed great concerns about what it could mean for the future of voice acting.
“I feel worried. And not worried about Guerrilla specifically, or Horizon, or my performance, or my career specifically, even. I feel worried about this art form, game performance as an art from,” Burch said via TikTok.
Read: SAG-AFTRA says proposed VA contract still has “alarming loopholes”
As Burch has pointed out, the leaked AI video has arrived at a tumultuous time for the global games industry, particularly given unionised voice actors are currently on strike, specifically about concerns over AI exploitation. Many are worried their performances will be taken, manipulated, and then used in perpetuity, with many companies allegedly looking to own and maintain the rights to the performances of their voice actors for use in future.
“We are currently on strike. SAG-AFTRA is currently on strike against video games because of AI, because this technology exists, and because we know that game companies want to use it,” Burch said. “We are asking for protection.”
“I feel worried, not because the technology exists, not even because game companies want to use it … I just imagine a video like this coming out, that does have someone’s performance attached to it, that does have someone’s voice or face or movement, and the possibility that if we lose this fight, that person would have more recourse.”
As noted by Burch, SAG-AFTRA is currently fighting for this change, and particularly for voice actors to have consent over how and where their voice is used. Given how voice work may be exploited – such as in an AI form where characters may be made to say or do things that don’t reflect the views or choices of their actor – these protections are essential. That’s not to mention every other way a familiar voice may be exploited.
In her TikTok, Burch has called for studios to better protect their actors from this future, and to think more carefully about the use of AI in games and technology. As we head towards an uncertain future, where AI is increasingly being used to trick people and subvert the truth, this call feels more pressing than ever.
