Skyrim voice actors have spoken out online against the use of their voice in AI deepfakes for adult mods.
Skyrim has hundreds of mods for fans of the game and franchise to install and play to their heart’s content. In recent years, those mods have become more sophisticated and feature the use of Artificial Intelligence and deepfake technology.
However, voice actors from Skyrim and the wider Elder Scrolls franchise have come forward to decry the use of their voice in these AI deepfake mods, especially those that feature adult content.
A report by Gamesradar broke down the situation as it started with one Twitter user posting a list of the voice actors who have had their voices used, without their consent, for these mods.
With the rise of AI voice cloning, voice actors are being abused by the modding communities. As a member of the Skyrim modding scene, I am deeply concerned at the practice of using AI voice cloning to create and distribute non-consensual deepfake pornographic content. pic.twitter.com/ySUFqrtjH0
— Robbie (@Robbie92_) July 1, 2023
“Their performances have been nefariously repurposed, fed into AI cloning tools (“ElvenLabs”), and used to create deepfake voice clips of these performers reciting explicit dialogue that is p****graphic in nature,” the post said.
ElvenLabs is an AI tool launched in 2022 that modders use to create deepfake voice lines. The use of AI tools is not against the rule of Nexus Mods, a popular website where users can upload mods. The website does have a DMCA form that actors could fill out for mods that use their work for adult purposes or otherwise, but the amount of mods using AI voices has continued to grow at an exponential rate.
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The post has since gained momentum as more and more of the voice actors named in the post see it and reply.
“If you find my voice in one of these situations, please let me know so I can ask that it be taken down,” Ben Diskin, whose voice can be found in Elder Scrolls Online, said. “I do not consent to my biometric data being used for these purposes.”
If you find my voice in one of these situations, please let me know so I can ask that it be taken down.I do not consent to my biometric data being used for these purposes. https://t.co/IX4rOjhoUH
— Ben Diskin (@BenjaminDiskin) July 4, 2023
The National Association of Voice Actors also replied to the post, tagging Bethesda and ZeniMax Online to help fight the unauthorized use of their member’s voices.
“The damage to voice actors and game companies by AI and synthetic voices is real and tangible,” the NAVA said.
Voice actor Zane Schacht also weighed in on the situation, saying the use of AI voices is “f***ing gross” and that using an actor’s voice without their consent, especially for adult content, is “f***ing heinous.”
