🔗 Share this article

Per newly revealed information from Embark Studios, Arc Raiders reportedly employ AI tools for producing some spoken content. This revelation closely resembles the debate that emerged around the developer's previous success, The Finals.

Game Overview

Debuted on October 30th for Sony's console, PC, and Xbox Series X, Arc Raiders is described as a easier introduction to the competitive survival genre. Compared to more hardcore titles like Escape from Tarkov, it seeks to offer a more approachable experience. The game has generally earned positive feedback, presently achieving a excellent rating on Steam based on numerous gamer feedback.

Development Approach

Via the game's official Steam page, a notice regarding computer-assisted production invites parallels: In the production phase, we could utilize algorithmic and intelligent systems to assist with asset production. In every instance, the resulting game reflects the artistic expression of our studio staff."

Past Issue

The Finals, a successful online combat game famous for its fluid combat and dynamic battlefields, faced criticism for its implementation of artificial intelligence even before its full release. In its October 2023 open beta, the project's audio lead disclosed in a online discussion that the company had leveraged generative technology for creating voice content. This announcement prompted immediate backlash from industry talent and creative personnel, who argued that computer-created dialogue were of reduced caliber compared to human performances and that such practices could eliminate voice-acting jobs.

Developer Response

In response, the development team stated that they had hired professional talent to create initial spoken content for The Finals, but supplemented these with synthetic voice systems to generate additional lines inspired by those original recordings. The studio's rationale highlighted the significant time savings achieved through this method.

Latest Developments

Regarding Arc Raiders, the project's design head recently stated that the release does not employ artificial intelligence creation in any form," though he did not provide details on the specific interpretation of the Steam disclosure. He did admit, however, that the equivalent speech tools used for The Finals was also utilized in Arc Raiders.

"We use a mix of professional actor recordings and content created through TTS tools in our games, depending on the situation," stated a company spokesperson. For specific scenarios, capturing live performances where talent interacts — allowing actor relationships and tension to define the final product — is something that adds depth to our virtual environments that systems cannot duplicate. In other instances, particularly if it relates to dynamic gameplay announcements, synthetic voice permits us to have tailored VO where we typically could not for example due to speed of implementation."

Gamer Feedback

Early feedback to the implementation of automated systems in Arc Raiders has been relatively mixed, particularly in the initial period. Some players have expressed strong opposition.

• Artificial intelligence dialogue is a stain on an mostly outstanding game," commented one user in a community thread.
• I dislike that they did it for The Finals and am sad to hear they repeated it for this title," added another.
• The effect was immediately noticeable in the speech content for Shani," observed a different user.

That said, some users have taken a more accepting attitude.

• I don't care, they hired talent and applied it appropriately," commented one community member.
• "This is as ethical as it is possible nowadays, sadly," continued another.

The ongoing controversy regarding artificial intelligence use in video game production appears set to persist as developers weigh creative efficiency with creative quality and responsible practices.