Generative AI in video games continues to be a hot button topic, but Assassin's Creed Shadows star Masumi Tsunoda is refreshingly hopeful about a future for actors.
Actors across the industry who are represented by SAG-AFTRA have been striking against companies, such as Disney, Take-Two, and EA for nearly a year in order to guarantee protections against AI. As more companies look to cut corners and replace human workers with artificial intelligence, the union is essentially calling for "fair compensation" and for companies to seek informed consent before scraping actors' likenesses.
When asked about whether she's worried about the burgeoning tech, Masumi Tsunoda, who plays stealthy badass Naoe in Assassin's Creed Shadows, told PCGN that she believes it'll make people appreciate human creativity more.
"I don't think AI can take away our creative voices," Tsunoda says. "Creative voices are so, so powerful. The more prominent AI becomes, the more we realize how powerful our voices and creative expressions are."
"There's a part of me that's a little scared because it's an unknown and there's not a lot of regulations around it yet," she explained. "But a part of me is excited because I feel like this sort of challenge is going to connect us to our human creativity even more, and make us want to express it even more. That's how we can hold power."
Prominent performance capture artist Steve Kniebihly recently made some similarly optimistic comments, arguing that AI simply can't replicate the chemistry you get from an actor and a director in the studio. All the campaigning seems to have made some impact - Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said he believes in paying talent for their work, even after it's been reused by AI, at least - but the union is still fighting for better assurances.
"Though progress has been made and agreements have been reached on certain provisions since we launched our strike last year, the last proposal the bargaining group made is still filled with alarming loopholes that will leave our members vulnerable to AI abuse," SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland recently explained to members in a message posted by Eurogamer. "The union recently submitted a counter to this proposal that diligently addresses all of the loopholes and would result in a contract that offers the minimum protections our members need in order to maintain sustainable careers as video game performers."
For more on Ubisoft's latest, check out our Assassin's Creed Shadows review and our list of the best Assassin's Creed games.
