CD Projekt Red used AI to replace the voice actor Miłogost Reczek Cyberpunk 2077 after his death in 2021.
Miłogost Reczek unfortunately passed away in December 2021 at the age of 60 and was best known for voicing the characters Vesemir and Thaler in The witcher games, along with the Polish dub of Homer Simpson in The Simpsons movie.
In his more recent work he played the role of Viktor Vektor Cyberpunk 2077Night City’s best ripperdoc, who also appears in the Phantom freedom expansion that started last month.
According to a Bloomberg reportCD Projekt Red received permission from Reczek’s family to recreate his voice in the game using AI, with localization director Mikołaj Szwed saying the team did not want to replace him.
“We didn’t like this approach,” Szwed said, explaining that Reczek “was one of the best Polish voice talents” and that his performance was “great”.
The studio hired a new voice actor to record new lines of dialogue, but then used Respeecher – an AI voice cloning software – to adapt the voice to Reczek’s and make it sound similar to him. Reczek’s sons “were very supportive” of the decision, the developer added.
Last month, the American trade union The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) – which has been on strike since July due to a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) – voted overwhelmingly in favor of approve a strike against the Interactive Media Agreement, which covers the work of its members in the field of games.
This follows an ongoing battle against the use of AI in media that working actors, writers and those working in the entertainment industry have faced.
Among the key issues discussed include voice stress protection for voice actors and protections around AI when it comes to transparency, consent, control and compensation, in addition to fair wages and safety for artists performing on camera.
Negotiations have failed so far – SAG-AFTRA previously said: “Throughout the negotiations, the companies have refused to offer acceptable terms on some of the most critical issues for our members, including wages that keep pace with inflation, protections against exploitative use of artificial intelligence and basic security measures.”
However, the union previously stated that its National Council and negotiating committee “will do everything possible to reach an agreement without a strike.”
For more information, check out our list of the best RPGs of the year, and if you’re looking for something more specific, check out our picks for the best pc games.