The topic of AI is seemingly becoming more and more heated as time goes on at the moment, with creatives in particular speaking out against the technology as coporate big wigs look to streamline their operations and, ultimately, line their pockets.
One actor who recently weighed in on the discussion was none other than the legendary Jennifer Hale, who has previously given voice to iconic characters such as Bayonetta, Samus Aran, Naomi Hunter, and Commander Shepard, to name but a few.
In speaking with Variety (thanks, pcgamer), Hale commented on the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike against video game publishers such as EA, Disney, Warner Bros, and more. AI became one of the key topics of negotiations leading up to the strike on 26th July; more specifically publishers' transparency around the use of AI, and Hale had the following to say:
“AI is coming for all of us. Because the truth is, AI is just a tool like a hammer. If I take my hammer, I could build you a house. I can also take that same hammer and I can smash your skin and destroy who you are.”
She goes on to explain that the National Association of Voice Actors had gone before Congress on the issue, presenting bills such as the 'NO FAKES Act', which would effectively protect actors' voices and visual likenesses against generative AI. She states “If you use something that originated in our body or our voices, can we please get paid? Because now you’re using technology to take away our ability to feed our kids.”
Hale also highlights the discrepancy between a voice actor's pay versus how much money a single video game goes on to yield. An example of this was one of her first gigs voicing Naomi Hunter for Metal Gear Solid, in which she states she was paid a total of $1,200 while the game went on to gross around $170 million.
“What I wish everyone would do was keep asking the actual question, which is, ‘there’s a lot of money being made here. Where is it going?’ And in the current setup, the way our system operates, and this whole idea of shareholder supremacy, it’s flowing to the 1%. If you flow so much money, you can’t even feed the people who made it possible.”
Hale was also roped into some controversry surrounding Bayonetta 3 shortly before the game's launch in October 2022. It was revealed that Hale would replace veteran voice actor Hellena Taylor in the lead role, after which Taylor requested fans boycott the game over an apparent pay dispute. Hale responded to the controvesy by stating "I support every actor's right to be paid well and have advocated consistently for this for years". However, she was unable to comment on specifics and said "I am under an NDA and am not at liberty to speak regarding this situation. My reputation speaks for itself."