Embark Responds to The Finals AI Criticism: 'Making Games Without Actors Isn't an End Goal'

ign.com:

The Finals developer Embark Studios has responded to criticism from voice actors and developers after it was slammed for using AI voice overs in its hit shooter.

The studio said "making games without actors isn't an end goal" and claimed it uses a mix of both recorded audio voices and audio generated via AI text to speech (TTS) tools for its games.

"We use a combination of recorded voice audio and audio generated via TTS tools in our games, depending on the context," an Embark spokesperson told IGN.

"Sometimes, recording real scenes where actors get together — allowing character chemistry and conflict to shape the outcome — is something that adds depth to our game worlds that technology can’t emulate. Other times, especially when it relates to contextual in-game action call-outs, TTS allows us to have tailored voice over where we otherwise wouldn't, for example due to speed of implementation."

The studio previously said it uses "AI with a few exceptions", with those being the random grunts and breathing noises the AI TTS tools can't create yet. Embark said in July these sounds are recorded by the normal developers and not paid voice actors though, as they're "something we use us in the studio to record, just grunting".

The developer has now walked back these comments, however, saying the open beta uses a mix of professional voice actors and temporary voices from Embark employees.

"In the instances we use TTS in The Finals, it's always based on real voices," the spokesperson said. "In the open beta, it is based on a mix of professional voice actors and temporary voices from Embark employees. Making games without actors isn’t an end goal for Embark and TTS technology has introduced new ways for us to work together."

The use of AI