Hi-Rez Studios Faces Allegations of AI Voice Cloning in Actor Contracts
Voice actor Henry Schrader alleges Hi-Rez Studios is using AI to clone actors’ performances without consent.
- Schrader claims developers resist adding measures to protect actors from AI voice cloning in contracts.
- Some actors unknowingly sign contracts granting AI rights over their voices.
- Concerns also arise about video game modders using actors’ performances without approval.
- Hi-Rez CEO responds with contractual snippets disavowing AI voice simulation.
- Chisam acknowledges AI’s complexity, releases AI rider to ensure voice talent protection.
Main AI News:
In a recent revelation that has sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry, voice actor Henry Schrader has come forward with claims that Hi-Rez Studios, the renowned developer behind hit games like Smite and Paladins, is purportedly utilizing artificial intelligence to replicate actors’ performances without obtaining their explicit consent. The controversy deepens as Schrader asserts that the studio is actively resistant to incorporating a safeguard within voice actors’ contracts that would empower them to decline the use of their voices for machine learning purposes. According to Schrader, certain actors were subjected to a particularly opaque process, being compelled to sign nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) before even laying eyes on the contract’s terms. This, he asserts, effectively silences voice actors from cautioning potential colleagues, especially those new to the industry, about potential pitfalls.
This eyebrow-raising accusation comes on the heels of an earlier revelation by voice actors who disclosed that they were being requested to relinquish their voice rights for exploitation by AI software. Shockingly, some actors confessed they were caught off guard by the inclusion of AI-related clauses in their contracts, discovering them only post-signature. Others claim they were explicitly informed that their employability was contingent on agreeing to these conditions.
