Metal Gear Solid: Exciting Updates & Issues
Paul Eiding, the renowned voice behind Metal Gear Solid’s Colonel Roy Campbell, has raised concerns over the unauthorized utilization of his vocal talents, with AI being a part of the issue. Eiding, whose voice is also familiar in the Fallout series and Shin Megami Tensei 5, among others, firmly stated that without written permission to use his voice, no one has the right to do so. This assertion extends to any AI-generated voice lines that might be derived from his voice data.
“Such actions not only violate my legal rights but also serve as a blatant disrespect,” Eiding emphasized. His words carry a sense of outrage and a demand for respect for his creative work and intellectual property.
Following in a similar vein, fellow Metal Gear actor David Hayter has also expressed his dissatisfaction with AI technology. The Solid Snake actor passionately declared that anyone who steals an actor’s voice should be severely punished. He further argued that AI voice acting will always lack the soul and depth that human voice actors bring to their performances.
“If you believe that AI can replicate the thousands of subtle, emotional adjustments that a talented voice actor like Jennifer Hale can provide, you are simply deluding yourself,” Hayter asserted. He firmly believes that while legally actors should be protected from the unauthorized use of their voices, images, or written work, he is not overly worried about the technological aspect, as he believes AI will always fall short in capturing the essence of a true performance.
Please read.
If you do not have written permission to use my voice,
you DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION to use my voice,
including AI use. Doing so is a violation of my legal rights
and a real slap in the face.Thanks in advance, for not doing this. #MGS #Transformers #Ben10 #Fallout
— Paul Eiding (@4pauleiding) July 9, 2023
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It is not just the Metal Gear Solid cast taking a stand against the unlawful use of actors’ voices. Erica Lindbeck, who lends her voice to characters like Black Cat (Felicia Hardy) in Marvel’s Spider-Man and Cassie Cage in Mortal Kombat 11, made a bold move by leaving Twitter after an online dispute with a content creator who used her voice in an AI-generated video.
As reported by TheGamer, Lindbeck’s voice was employed in an AI-generated cover of Welcome to the Internet by Bo Burnham. The video depicted the song being sung by Lindbeck’s Persona character, Futaba Sakura. In response, Lindbeck urged her followers to report any similar videos they come across online.
In a rather unexpected turn of events, the AI creator accused Lindbeck of instigating a “harassing campaign” over a “seemingly harmless but nonetheless unethical Futaba AI cover video”. However, the creator of this AI video has now had their Twitter account suspended for violating the platform’s media policy.
I stand with Erica Lindbeck.
VAs have a right to their own voices.
If you’re asked to take down AI replicating them, then kindly listen. Otherwise you are helping normalize the idea that artists don’t have a right to their own voices. https://t.co/W710mKui3i
— Lucía Lobosvilla (@LuciaLobosvilla) July 8, 2023
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For those interested in delving deeper into the topic of AI, it is advisable to check out Ed’s interview with other accomplished voice actors such as Jane Perry and Troy Baker. In this interview, they explore their doubts about AI’s ability to truly replicate human performances and discuss the potential impact of AI on the voice acting industry.
