NextFin news, Françoise Cadol, the French actress who originally voiced Lara Croft in the French versions of the Tomb Raider games up to 2008, initiated legal action against Aspyr Media on Thursday in France. She alleges that Aspyr used AI-generated voice lines based on her past recordings without her permission in the recently released Tomb Raider 4-6 remasters.
The dispute centers on Aspyr's use of artificial intelligence to replicate Cadol's voice for the French-language dialogue in the remastered games. Cadol stated to the French newspaper Le Parisien that she was neither asked nor informed about the use of AI to generate her voice. She described the unauthorized use as a "betrayal" and a "total disrespect" to both herself and the fans who have supported the franchise over the years.
Examples of the AI-generated voice lines were shared on social media, where listeners noted a distinct robotic tone replacing the original natural voice recordings. French Tomb Raider fans alerted Cadol to these discrepancies, prompting her to issue a cease and desist demand to Aspyr.
Cadol is well known for dubbing high-profile actresses such as Angelina Jolie, including Jolie’s role in the 2001 Tomb Raider film. She emphasized the emotional connection between her voice and the gaming community, stating, "It's a game, my voice accompanies the gamers, we play together."
Additional concerns have been raised by fans and voice actors in other languages, including Brazilian Portuguese and Spanish, where AI-generated voices are suspected to have replaced original performances. Brazilian voice actor Lene Bastos confirmed that her voice was also replaced by AI in the remasters.
Aspyr Media acknowledged that an external partner used generative AI to modify original voice recordings without proper authorization. The company stated it does not condone such practices and admitted the issue was not caught during their review process. Aspyr has pledged to remove all AI-generated voice assets in an upcoming patch to address the controversy.
This legal action highlights ongoing tensions in the gaming industry regarding the unauthorized use of AI technology to replicate actors’ voices. Similar disputes have emerged globally, including complaints filed by actors in the United States and statements from voice actor unions in Japan opposing unapproved AI voice replication.
The lawsuit filed by Cadol in France is being closely watched as it may set important precedents for voice actors’ rights and the ethical use of AI in entertainment media.
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