Ned Luke, best known for voicing Michael De Santa in GTA 5, has lambasted AI company WAME for using his likeness in a chatbot. While the company has removed the tweet and aforementioned chatbot, Luke is still furious over what happened and it’s easy to see why.
On Twitter (via PCGamesN), Luke called out the website for using his likeness, telling fans not to waste their time with the company’s AI antics. Going even further, the actor also ended up tagging Rockstar Gamea and SAG-AFTRA, showing just how furious he was.
Since then, MAME has deleted any tweets about Ned Luke’s character from GTA 5, seemingly regretting the move. The company has since released a statement to PCGamesN, claiming that this incident has “highlighted the intricate interplay between the advancement of AI technology and the ethical and legal realms.”
“WAME commits to protecting the rights of voice actors and creators while advancing ethical AI practices,” the company wrote to PCGamesN. “We believe this controversy serves as a pivotal moment in harmonizing AI technology with relevant legal statutes.”
AI continues to be a major hurdle for creatives and incidents like this are a major reason why, as actors constantly feel like their likeness is being stolen from them. Despite WAME claiming that they want to protect the rights of voice actors, the company still tried to make a chatbot without Luke’s permission.
Unfortunately, despite a ton of creatives hating the tech, this hasn’t stopped SAG-AFTRA from announcing a major deal that allows AI. This angered a ton of voice actors who did not agree to the move, feeling that the organization had betrayed their trust. After all, this was one of the reasons why a strike was done in the first place.
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Hopefully, this incident with the GTA 5 actor shows everyone what can happen if AI companies are given free rein to do what they want. SAG-AFTRA should listen to their members and do something about the AI announcement they agreed to do, for some reason.