Black Ops 6 voice actors quit as Activision goes all in on AI claims leaker-Adam Starkey-Entertainment – Metro

Maya from the Black Ops 6 Zombies campaign (Activision)

Black Ops 6 players are calling out what appears to be AI art, as an insider claims voice actors have quit due to a lack of AI protections.

AI generated art has already become a widespread issue within the games industry, with some studios trying to use it to cut costs, while others just seem to use it as an excuse to layoff more people.

While AI can aid game development in positive ways, such as with anti-cheat systems, the biggest concern is whether companies like Microsoft and EA, who have fully embraced the technology, will use it instead of hiring voice actors or other artists to help make its games.

This concern has come to a head at Activision, after players highlighted what appears to be AI art within Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 and rumours emerged that almost the whole voice cast has quit Zombies mode.

Over the weekend, players took umbrage with a new zombie Santa Claus image which has started popping up on the game’s loading screens. While it might seem innocuous on a passing glance, you might notice a discrepancy if you look closer at the hand.

The presence of six fingers has led many to believe it’s AI generated, as the technology has a history of struggling to create convincing hands. Others have suggested the six fingers could have been intentional to reflect Black Ops 6, but that seems like a significant stretch.

Another image from Black Ops 6 shows a gloved hand has attracted scrutiny because it similarly features too many fingers, with one player branding it ‘AI slop’.

This has led another player to create a thread on the Black Ops 6 Reddit to encapsulate the situation, titled ‘This is unacceptable at this point’.

AI may have lent a hand this Christmas (Activision)

Along with the AI art grievances, the post itself makes reference to claims from Call Of Duty leaker TheGhostOfHope, who alleges the majority of actors who portrayed characters in the Black Ops 6 Zombies mode have quit due to the lack of AI protections in their contracts.

‘This has resulted in some of the disappointing recasts we are now seeing early on,’ they stated on X, citing an apparent recast of Samantha Maxis, originally voiced by Julie Nathanson, on Zombies map Citadel De Morts.

The leaker suggests that other voice actors will be replaced in future updates, with Activision no doubt hoping the gradual change has more chance of not being noticed.

While it’s unclear if this is the case with Black Ops 6 actors specifically, members of the Screen Actors Guild union (SAG-AFTRA) are currently on strike against video game companies, over the lack of safeguards regarding AI.

The strike, which began in July this year, is still ongoing, with Activision Blizzard among the companies in negotiations.

This isn’t the first time Activision has been accused of using AI in Call Of Duty either, with a cosmetic Yokai’s Wrath bundle in Modern Warfare 3 also apparently being AI-generated.

How many fingers does this guy have? (Activision/X)

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