Is AI a threat to jobs? A Tomb Raider affair poses the question

PARIS — Long-time "Tomb Raider" enthusiast Romain Bos found himself caught in a whirlwind of emotions when a recent update to the beloved video game launched in August. His initial excitement quickly turned into frustration as he noticed something unsettling about the French voice of Lara Croft, the game's iconic protagonist. To the dismay of fans, the voice sounded mechanical and devoid of the warmth that Françoise Cadol, the original voice actress since 1996, had brought to the character. Both Cadol and fans alike concluded that her voice had been artificially replicated without consent. "It's pathetic," Cadol remarked, promptly consulting her lawyer. "My voice belongs to me. You have no right to do that." The controversy intensified when Bos expressed his outrage, labeling the situation as "absolutely scandalous." The Austin-based developer, Aspyr, has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the matter. However, they did acknowledge in a recent statement that unauthorized AI-generated content had been included in the August 14 update of "Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered." They have since removed all AI voiceover content and issued an apology to the affected fans. This incident has raised significant concerns within the voiceover community. Advocates are warning that this could be a precursor to broader implications of AI technology on employment across various fields. Patrick Kuban, a French voice actor and co-president of United Voice Artists, emphasized the potential threat, stating, "If we can replace actors, we’ll be able to replace accountants and many other professions. We need to ask ourselves: How far should we go, and how do we regulate these machines?" Similar apprehensions have surfaced in Hollywood, where video game actors recently negotiated for new contracts that include protections against AI misuse. Kuban mentioned receiving alerts from around the globe, highlighting an alarming trend of voice cloning for unauthorized uses, including social media deepfakes. In the wake of the update, Cadol's phone was inundated with messages from distressed fans, revealing the emotional impact of the AI-generated voice. "I saw all this emotion — anger, sadness, confusion. That’s how I found out that my voice had been cloned," she recounted. Having spent over a decade recording voiceovers for Lara Croft, Cadol feels a deep connection with her audience, referring to them as the "guardians" of her work. Following the initial shock, she is now determined to seek justice, with her lawyer pursuing an apology and compensation from Aspyr. The updated game included new voiceover segments that appeared clumsy and even grammatically incorrect, further alienating fans. One segment prompted players to "Stand in front and press ‘advance,'" which sounded awkward and incorrect to French speakers. Bos took to his YouTube channel to express his dismay, stating, "It’s half Françoise Cadol, half AI. It’s horrible! Why have they done that?" As a lifelong fan, Bos lamented the loss of Cadol's unique interpretation of Lara Croft. "Lara Croft can be sarcastic, and Françoise played that brilliantly. It’s time to set boundaries to ensure that future generations can also experience the talents of real actors."