Black Ops 6 voice actors quit as Activision moves to leak AI allegations

Black Ops 6 players are speaking out against what appears to be AI art, as an insider claims voice actors left the game due to a lack of AI protection.

AI-generated art has already become a widespread problem in the video game industry, with some studios trying to use it to cut costs, while others just seem to be using it as an excuse to lay off more employees. people.

While AI can contribute to game development in positive ways, such as through anti-cheat systems, the bigger concern is whether companies like Microsoft and EA, which have fully embraced the technology, will use it instead of hiring voice actors or other artists to help create video games. his games.

This concern has come to a head at Activision, after players pointed out what appears to be AI art in Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6, while rumors claim the majority of Zombies’ voice acting has left due to a dispute over AI.

Over the weekend, players took umbrage with a new zombie image of Santa that began appearing on the game’s loading screens. While it may seem harmless at first glance, you may notice -be a difference if you look at the hand more closely.

The presence of six fingers led many people to believe they were AI-generated, as technology has historically struggled to create convincing hands. Others have suggested that the six fingers might have been intentional to reflect Black Ops 6, but that seems like a stretch.

Another Black Ops 6 image shows a gloved hand drawing attention because it also features too many fingers, with one player calling it “slop AI.”

This led to another player creating a Black Ops 6 Reddit thread to summarize the situation, titled “This is unacceptable at this point.”

In addition to AI art grievances, the post itself references claims from Call Of Duty leaker TheGhostOfHope, who alleges that the majority of actors who played characters in Black Ops 6’s Zombies mode resigned due to lack of AI protection in their contracts.

“This resulted in some of the disappointing redesigns we’re now seeing early on,” they said on

The leaker suggests that more voice actors will be replaced in future updates, with Activision no doubt hoping that the gradual change will be more likely to go unnoticed.

Although it is unclear if this is the case specifically for the Black Ops 6 actors, members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) union are currently on strike against video game companies, due to the lack of guarantees regarding AI.

The strike, which began in July this year, is still ongoing, with Activision Blizzard among the companies in negotiations.

This isn’t the first time Activision has been accused of using AI in Call Of Duty either, with a Yokai’s Wrath cosmetic pack in Modern Warfare 3 apparently also being AI-generated.

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