GTA V actor Ned Luke blasts AI chatbot for using his voice

by Danny Craig  · 
GTA V actor Ned Luke blasts AI chatbot for using his voice
Rockstar Games

Ned Luke, the actor behind Grand Theft Auto V’s Michael, has called out a company for using his voice in its AI chatbot.

The details:

  • The actor took to X to slam Web3 company WAME for using his voice acting work as the foundation for its chatbot, which pretended to be Michael De Santa. Luke shared the now-deleted original post (via PCGamesN) promoting the chatbot, describing it as "fucking bullshit" and saying there was "absolutely nothing cool about ripping people off with some lame computer estimation of my voice."

  • Luke concluded his post by tagging Rockstar, the actors' union SAG-AFTRA, and Red Dead Redemption 2 star Roger Clark. Clark responded to the post by expressing his disappointment with AI being used to replicate actors' voices, criticizing SAG-AFTRA for doing nothing about the ongoing issue and even signing an agreement with AI company Replica Studios.

  • WAME has removed the option to speak with "Michael De Santa" via the chatbot, it said in a statement provided to Eurogamer. "In light of the recent controversy surrounding the utilisation of Mr. Ned Luke's voice in our application, we at WAME wish to express our profound understanding and concern," it wrote. "This incident has highlighted the intricate interplay between the advancement of AI technology and the ethical and legal realms."

  • As technology advances, the use of AI is becoming a cause for concern for many industries. Last year, The Finals developer Climax Studios faced opposition for using AI voiceovers as commentators, while Rockstar parent Take-Two stated that AI would make NPC dialogue "really interesting and fun." Some groups, such as ZeniMax Workers United-CWA, have begun working to regulate its use and will now have a say in how AI tools are used by the Elder Scrolls developer.

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