Sony's AI-Powered Aloy Leak Sparks Controversy, Horizon Actor Burch Fears Replacement by AI

Earlier this week, you may have watched a video showing Sony using generative artificial intelligence to recreate Aloy, the protagonist of the Horizon series from PlayStation, in a leaked test demo. This move triggered strong reactions among players and developers. One major reason is that the voice of this AI-generated Aloy came from a text-to-speech program, not her long-time human voice actress, Ashly Burch.

Although the robot did not use Burch’s facial or voice data, and Guerrilla had informed her in advance that this was not intended for any actively developed project, she expressed concerns about "the future of game performance as an art form." In a subsequent video, Burch discussed how voice actors are currently fighting for rights related to AI usage in voice acting. They hope developers will agree to clarify the purposes when using replicas of their performances.

In the leaked video by Sony, the AI-powered version of Aloy answers questions posed by the director of software engineering at Sony Interactive Entertainment. Upon launching *Horizon: Forbidden West*, the AI describes the nearest beast to the player and its key weaknesses. These functions are operations players can already perform in the game by scanning creatures to learn their types and weak points or referring to the in-game glossary if forgotten.

The release of this video comes at a time when major publishers are heavily promoting generative AI technology, believing it will positively impact all aspects of development—from design and art to voice acting. Notably, the strike by voice actors from SAG-AFTRA has lasted nearly a year, with the union recently stating that companies like Warner Games and Take-Two refuse to compromise on using AI-generated sound replicas.

The emergence of this AI Aloy reflects part of what worries voice actors: since Sony and Guerrilla own the copyright to Horizon, they have the right to handle Aloy without informing Burch, potentially extending this authority to include her vocal performance. What concerns Burch more is the potential impact on less protected actors. She admitted, "It makes me sad. I love this industry and this art form so much. I want to see a new generation of actors emerge, and I want there to be more amazing performances in games. I want to keep doing this job, but if we don’t succeed, the future outlook could be severely affected."

Currently, Sony has not commented on the leaked Aloy demo video nor mentioned plans to integrate such technologies into their PlayStation products. However, their silence might speak volumes.