‘NO RIGHT’

‘Pathetic’ Tomb Raider Update Clones Actor’s Voice Using AI

Fans got in touch with the artist to warn her she’d been copied.

A Tomb Raider actor has slammed producers as “pathetic” after allegedly using AI to clone her voice. Françoise Cadol did the audio work for the franchise’s protagonist, Lara Croft, in the French editions of the video games from 1996 to 2008. According to the Associated Press, she was contacted by fans of the long-running video game series following an update of Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered on Aug. 14 by publisher Aspyr. ​​“It’s pathetic,” she told the agency. “My voice belongs to me. You have no right to do that.” Fans informed her the voice sounded robotic; ultimately, she called her lawyer. The Daily Beast has contacted the Austin, Texas-based firm for comment. In a post last week, it admitted to “unauthorized AI-generated content” that had appeared in the game. “We’ve addressed this issue by removing all AI voiceover content,” the studio said. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.” The affair has sparked concerns about AI encroachment into the arts. French-language voice actor and co-president of United Voice Artists Patrick Kuban said, “If we can replace actors, we’ll be able to replace accountants, and a whole range of other professions that could also be automated.” Cadol, meanwhile, has called fans her “guardians.”