CD Projekt Red revealed that it used AI to replace the deceased voice actor Miłogost Reczek, who played Viktor Vektor in Cyberpunk 2077, for the Phantom Liberty expansion. The company explained its process of using AI after it “didn’t like the idea” of replacing Reczek with another voice actor. According to CDPR, Reczek’s family and sons “were very supportive” of the idea, who wouldn’t go through with it unless it got permission from his relatives.
In a statement provided to Bloomberg, CD Projekt Red explained how it used AI to replicate Reczek’s voice in Phantom Liberty. A new voice actor was initially hired to record Viktor Vektor’s lines which were then altered using a voice cloning software called Respeecher that changed the actor’s voice to make it sound like Reczek. CDPR made sure it got the go-ahead first from the late actor’s family before moving ahead, otherwise it wouldn’t have used the AI option.
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While debates online about the ethical use of AI in entertainment has been going on for months now – even leading to major strikes in Hollywood with actors and writers – the discussion is being met with a warm embrace for some but furrowed brows from others. In this case, CD Projekt Red used AI as a means of keeping Reczek’s performance alive which has been better-received than most uses of AI in gaming so far, though it still poses a lot of unanswered questions about how the tool might be used in the future.
In related news, CD Projekt Red is also moving full steam ahead with the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077. The company gave an update last week confirming that it’s already in the early stages of development with several studio locations across Poland and the United States working on the project. The Witcher 4 is also being developed alongside the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel and we might see that sooner than the next trip to Night City.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is now available for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Source: Bloomberg
