The debate surrounding AI in gaming has just taken a major turn, with Apex Legends caught in the middle.
The entire French voice cast for the game has turned down new contracts offering the publisher broad rights over their voices, including the possibility of AI replication.
Led by Pascale Chemin (Wraith's French voice actor), the decision points to rising fears in the creative industry about AI replacing jobs. After six years of lending their voices to Apex Legends, the French cast was blindsided by a new contractual requirement.
The contract would demand that they give up all rights to their voices in a way that could allow AI-generated replicas to be used in future projects without further approval or compensation. After consulting with an audiovisual lawyer, Chemin confirmed that these terms were highly problematic and unacceptable.
While many actors struggle to secure consistent work in the industry, Chemin made it clear that this was not just about one role. It was about setting a precedent for fair treatment. She wasn't alone in her stance. All 32 members of the Apex Legends French voice cast refused to sign the contract, rejecting it collectively.
As posted on Chemin's Instagram (@pascalechemin_officiel), the situation in its entirety raised a red flag:
There was obviously a lot of consideration behind this decision. Many of these actors rely on projects like Apex Legends for steady income, and turning down a job in today's market is risky. But to them, this contract was about something much larger: the potential for AI to take over the role of voice actors fully.
The controversy surrounding Apex Legends is just a glimpse of a bigger trend in gaming. More and more companies are turning to AI to reduce costs, sometimes sacrificing human creativity in the process. Activision recently admitted to using AI-generated assets in Call of Duty. Meanwhile, EA has been exploring AI-driven voice synthesis, which could enable games to create dialogue dynamically and potentially remove the need for professional voice actors.
For a lot of people in the industry, the push for AI content seems like a dangerous path to take. If game studios secure contracts to use voices indefinitely, voice actors may face being gradually replaced, with their likenesses used without permission or fair pay.
As of now, the French cast of Apex Legends is waiting for a response from the publisher.