Arc Raiders' Use of Artificial Intelligence Voice Technology Recalls Previous Debate

Based on developer statements from the studio behind the title, Arc Raiders seems to utilize AI tools for creating some dialogue. This revelation strongly echoes the issue that surrounded the studio's previous success, The Finals.

Release Details

Launched on the last day of October for PS5, PC, and Xbox, Arc Raiders is marketed as a more accessible entry point to the loot-and-extract genre. Compared to complex games like Escape from Tarkov, it aims to offer a user-friendly gameplay. This release has largely been favorable reviews, presently achieving a "very positive" score on Steam based on numerous user evaluations.

Development Approach

Via the game's official platform description, a clear disclosure regarding "AI Generated Content" raises similarities: Throughout creation, we may employ procedural and AI-based systems to facilitate content creation. Regardless of method, the final output reflects the artistic expression of our creative personnel."

Earlier Debate

The Finals, a popular competitive FPS famous for its responsive controls and demolition-heavy maps, received negative feedback for its adoption of generative tools prior to its official launch. During its October 2023 open beta, the project's audio lead revealed in a online discussion that the company had employed generative technology for creating voice content. This revelation prompted immediate criticism from industry talent and industry professionals, who argued that AI-generated voices were of notably lower quality compared to human performances and that such methods could displace performance opportunities.

Developer Response

Reacting to feedback, the development team stated that they had hired professional performers to produce primary dialogue for The Finals, but enhanced these with synthetic voice systems to produce supplementary content based on those professional deliveries. The developer's reasoning highlighted the significant time savings achieved through this approach.

Present Circumstances

About Arc Raiders, the project's design head clarified that the release avoids utilizing AI generation in any form," though he did not provide details on the exact nature of the Steam disclosure. He did admit, however, that the identical voice system employed in The Finals was also utilized in Arc Raiders.

We employ a blend of professional actor recordings and content created through TTS tools in our releases, according to the requirements," commented a studio representative. In certain cases, filming actual interactions where actors get together — permitting performance dynamics and tension to influence the result — is something that contributes richness to our virtual environments that AI cannot replicate. For different situations, especially when it relates to dynamic gameplay announcements, text-to-speech enables us to have tailored VO where we typically could not such as due to speed of implementation."

Player Reactions

Initial response to the implementation of generative tools in Arc Raiders has been fairly varied, particularly in the launch window. Certain gamers have voiced significant concerns.

• "AI voices are a stain on an otherwise incredible title," stated one player in a community thread.
• I oppose that they implemented it in The Finals and am sad to hear they employed it once more for this title," added another.
• The result was immediately noticeable in the speech content for one protagonist," mentioned a different user.

Nevertheless, other players have expressed a more open-minded stance.

• I don't care, they hired talent and used it well," commented one online participant.
• This demonstrates acceptable as it currently exists, unfortunately," added another.

The persistent debate regarding AI implementation in interactive entertainment appears set to continue as companies balance production speed with performance standards and ethical considerations.