🔗 Share this article Arc Raiders' Use of AI Voices Recalls The Finals Controversy Per developer statements from the game's developer, Arc Raiders seems to utilize artificial intelligence technology for generating select spoken content. This news strongly echoes the issue that surrounded the studio's 2023 hit, The Finals. Title Introduction Launched on October 30th for PS5, computer platforms, and Microsoft's console, Arc Raiders is described as a gentler on-ramp to the competitive survival genre. Unlike established behemoths like Escape from Tarkov, it aims to offer a welcoming gameplay. This release has mostly received favorable reviews, presently achieving a "very positive" score on digital distribution based on numerous player reviews. AI Disclosure Via the product's platform description, a notice regarding computer-assisted production draws comparisons: Throughout creation, we could utilize procedural and AI-based technologies to support material generation. In all cases, the end product reflects the creativity and vision of our development team." Previous Controversy The Finals, a successful online combat game known for its responsive controls and demolition-heavy maps, faced criticism for its implementation of artificial intelligence even before its public debut. In its pre-release trial, the title's sound specialist mentioned in a online discussion that the development team had used generative technology for developing voice content. This revelation generated instant backlash from voice actors and game developers, who stated that AI-generated voices were of reduced caliber compared to human performances and that such approaches could eliminate performance opportunities. Developer Response Reacting to feedback, the company stated that they had contracted experienced talent to produce primary spoken content for The Finals, but expanded these with TTS technology to create extra content based on those professional deliveries. The company's explanation focused on the significant time savings achieved through this method. Present Circumstances Concerning Arc Raiders, the project's design head commented that the game avoids utilizing AI generation at all," though he declined to elaborate on the precise meaning of the platform statement. He did acknowledge, however, that the identical voice system implemented in The Finals was also utilized in Arc Raiders. "We use a blend of recorded voice audio and material produced using synthetic voice systems in our releases, depending on the requirements," stated a development team member. "Sometimes, filming actual interactions where actors get together — allowing character chemistry and drama to shape the outcome — is something that adds depth to our digital universes that AI cannot replicate. In other instances, especially when it concerns real-time combat communications, TTS allows us to have tailored VO where we could not e.g. due to production timelines." Community Response Early feedback to the use of AI technology in Arc Raiders has been somewhat nuanced, especially during the launch window. A portion of the community have shown clear disapproval. Synthetic speech represents a stain on an generally excellent game," commented one player in a online discussion. I dislike that they used it in The Finals and am disappointed to hear they repeated it for this game," commented another. The result was instantly apparent in the vocal lines for a specific character," observed a different user. However, different gamers have adopted a more tolerant position. "Don't give a fuck, they paid voice actors and applied it appropriately," wrote one forum user. This demonstrates acceptable as it currently exists, I'm afraid," added another. The continuing discussion regarding artificial intelligence use in video game production appears set to continue as studios balance development pace with creative quality and moral concerns.