French Voice Cast of Apex Legends Takes a Stand Against AI

The voice acting community for the French version of Apex Legends is currently at odds with a significant proposal from a publisher, believed to be Electronic Arts, that wants to use their recordings to train AI systems. Pascale Chemin, who lends her voice to the character Wraith, revealed this development on Twitter, expressing concerns about a new contract clause that would permit such use of their voice work. While neither the game nor EA is directly named, the hints unmistakably suggest their involvement with Apex Legends.

Moreover, it’s not just Chemin who is resisting. Reports indicate that a group of 31 voice actors associated with the project have collectively refused to accept these terms. They have even penned a letter to the publisher to formally express their refusal.

Chemin has passionately addressed the issue, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding their vocal contributions. She points out the absence of a protective clause in their contracts, a situation that threatens the rights and futures of voice actors across all video game dubbing studios. “Standing united now is crucial,” she asserts, emphasizing that without action, they could be heading toward a bleak outcome.

She acknowledges the challenging circumstances many voice actors face, where work is sparse and financial pressures mount. Yet, despite these harsh realities, Chemin remains firm in the stance against allowing their skills to serve as a foundation for AI systems that could eventually replace human talent. “Agreeing to these terms,” she argues, “essentially means supporting what we’re fighting against, putting us in a position to undermine our very existence in this field.”