Horizon Zero Dawn voice actor Ashly Burch has responded to Sony's recently revealed A.I. version of her character, Aloy. Burch voiced the character in both Horizon Zero Dawn and its sequel, Horizon Forbidden West.

On TikTok, Burch shared a video talking about demo footage that saw an A.I. version of Aloy in development for PlayStation. "I saw the tech demo earlier this week," she said, adding "[Horizon Developer] Guerilla reached out to me to let me know that the demo didn't reflect anything that was actively in development. Guerilla owns Aloy as a character."

While the company appeared to be respectful of Burch's performance and didn't use it for the A.I. version without her knowledge, Burch still had thoughts about seeing her character used in this way. "I feel worried," she said with a sigh. "Not worried about Guerilla specifically, or Horizon, or my performance or my career specifically, even. "

For Burch, video game actors need stronger protection regarding A.I. usage. It's something that the SAG-AFTRA union continues to be on strike over. Speaking about the strike, Burch went on to mention the things the union is fighting for specifically, saying: ""

After saying she understands why video game companies want to use technological advancements like AI in their work, she expressed her fears. "I just imagine a video like this coming out that does have someone's performance attached to it...that does have someone's voice or face or movement, and the possibility that if we lose this fight, that person would have no recourse. They wouldn't have any protections, any way to fight back. And that possibility, it makes me so sad. It hurts my heart...it scares me."

While tensions are currently high between SAG-AFTRA voice actors and video game developers, Burch still insists she has a love for the industry. "I love this industry and this art form so much, and I want there to be a new generation of actors. I want there to be so many more incredible game performances. I want to be able to continue to do this job, and if we don't win, then that future is really compromised."

"I'm genuinely not trying to put any game company specifically on blast. Certainly not Guerilla," she added. "The technology isn't the problem. Game companies wanting to use the technology isn't the problem. The problem is that we are currently on strike, and . I believe fighting is what we have to do to protect the future and longevity of this career we love so much."

SAG-AFTRA's video game strike remains ongoing, with the union recently saying that a deal is not close to being reached at this time.

Source: Ashly Burch via TikTok