AI makes Todd Howard say terrible things about The Elder Scrolls 6

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Technology was a mistake

TES6
(Image credit: Bethesda)

AI has now been used to make Todd Howard say horrible things about The Elder Scrolls 6. 

In the latest round of 'why the internet was a mistake' comes 'Todd Howard on new Elder Scrolls 6 features,' seen just below. The headline feature of the definitely-real excerpt from Howard is that The Elder Scrolls 6 will finally give players one feature they've always wanted: sex with NPCs.

The AI kicks off the video by making Howard praise an Elder Scrolls modder for adding "physics" to "female breasts," including Argonians, while touting Bethesda's wider modding community as innovators. It really does feel like someone put a gun to this poor man's head and made him say a bunch of weird sex stuff for the next Elder Scrolls game.

The deepfaked Howard goes on to talk about sex mods for The Elder Scrolls for an unnerving amount of time, describing in detail how the player will be able to romance NPCs in The Elder Scrolls 6. Complete with canned laughter from a live audience and acoustics mimicking a presentation to a large crowd, this new AI creation of Howard is just downright scary.

Sure, this deepfake is all fun and games for the most part, but even comments underneath the YouTube video sound off about how scarily accurate the creation is. We're now rapidly approaching the point where deepfake and real life voices are virtually indistinguishable from one another (hey, maybe we're already there), and Todd Howard saying weird sex things is just the tip of a very unfortunate iceberg. 

In news surrounding the Bethesda game that is actually real, Todd Howard said late last year that he wished The Elder Scrolls 6 was coming out sooner. 

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.