THE FINALS is out, and one thing already standing out is the commentators. Many are wondering whether or not AI voices them.
Commentators in most games are pre-recorded lines by real actors. While it’s admirable to have this feature, it becomes repetitive when you hear the same lines repeatedly. An AI commentator would be able to react to almost any situation in the game and generate an appropriate response, which is what the commentators seem to be doing in THE FINALS.
Are the AI voices in THE FINALS?
Yes, there are. The game’s developers confirmed there are AI voices in the game. According to the interview, AI voices are used for commentators, and some of the contestants use text-to-speech AI technology. They explain how using AI instead of actual recordings allows the devs to be extremely reactive when adding additional voices.
Can you tell if an AI did the voices in THE FINALS?
It’s pretty hard to tell. Unless you listen and pay attention to every syllable, you likely won’t notice that the commentators are voiced. The reason why it’s so hard to tell is because actual voice actors were originally used to create the unique AI voices. By recording numerous lines from voice actors, the developers managed to train the AI to produce new lines that sound remarkably similar to the original voice actors.
Some of the lines may sound a bit awkward, but the majority of THE FINALS lines are good enough to make you think an actual human being said them.
What was the reception to having AI voices in THE FINALS?
The reception to this announcement has been very mixed. Having an AI provide the voices in a game like THE FINALS makes perfect sense from a financial point of view. Re-casting the same actors could be expensive and time-consuming because THE FINALS is meant to be a live-service game and receive continuous updates.
On the other hand, many also claim this move is terrible for the voice-acting industry. According to Twitter responses, many claim AI is slowly replacing actual people and that many voice actors might lose their jobs.
Using AI in games is both exciting and terrifying at the same time, and it will definitely be interesting to see how a game like THE FINALS will be affected.
