Geralt voice actor Doug Cockle has criticized AI platforms for replicating his voice, saying he would sue every one of them “into the ground” if he had the resources.
Cockle has voiced Geralt of Rivia throughout The Witcher games, making his distinctive performance instantly recognizable to fans of the series. But the rise of generative AI means his voice can now be imitated without him actually recording the dialogue.
Speaking to Polygon, Cockle described AI versions of his voice as “the bugbear of my life,” and revealed that he would love to take legal action against them.
“If I had the power, the money, and the influence, I would sue every single AI platform out there with my voice on it,” Cockle said. “I would sue them into the ground.”
Witcher voice actor Doug Cockle calls AI the “bugbear of my life” #
While unauthorized use of his performance is an issue in itself, Cockle explained that he’s particularly worried about AI-generated dialogue causing damage to the character’s reputation. “More than money or anything else is that they could make Geralt say horrible things,” he added. “They could make Geralt a racist. They could make him a misogynist. They could make him have political views that are absolutely horrific.”
With a convincing enough recreation, Cockle fears listeners may not always realize that neither he nor CD Projekt Red had anything to do with what they’re hearing.
The actor went on to stress that voices in video games come from the work of a real performer and argued that they shouldn’t be used for AI-generated dialogue.
“I’m being a little bit passionate about this, but it is the bugbear of my life at the moment,” Cockle said. “There are people behind these voices. They’re not just digital imprints.”
Related #
If you can’t wait to hear Cockle’s voice as Geralt once again, he’s confirmed to return in The Witcher 4, which currently doesn’t have a release date.