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According to newly revealed information from the game's developer, Arc Raiders seems to employ generative systems for creating certain dialogue. This news is strikingly similar to the debate that emerged around the developer's 2023 hit, The Finals.

Release Details

Launched on the last day of October for PS5, PC, and Microsoft's console, Arc Raiders is described as a more accessible on-ramp to the extraction shooter style. In contrast with more hardcore titles like Escape from Tarkov, it seeks to offer a more approachable experience. The title has mostly received favorable reviews, currently holding a "very positive" reception on the popular platform based on thousands of gamer feedback.

Development Approach

Via the title's dedicated Steam page, a clear disclosure regarding computer-assisted production invites parallels: "During development, we might apply procedural and AI-based tools to assist with asset production. In every instance, the resulting game embodies the creativity and vision of our studio staff."

Earlier Debate

The Finals, a popular competitive FPS known for its smooth gunplay and demolition-heavy maps, received negative feedback for its use of AI even before its full release. Throughout its pre-release trial, the project's audio lead mentioned in a online discussion that the studio had used AI tools for creating voice content. This announcement triggered swift negative reaction from voice actors and creative personnel, who claimed that AI-generated voices were of reduced caliber compared to human performances and that such methods could displace acting roles.

Studio Explanation

Reacting to feedback, the company clarified that they had employed skilled voice actors to produce primary spoken content for The Finals, but expanded these with synthetic voice systems to generate additional content inspired by those original recordings. The developer's reasoning centered on the significant time savings achieved through this technique.

Present Circumstances

About Arc Raiders, the title's creative lead commented that the title does not employ AI generation whatsoever," though he did not provide details on the specific interpretation of the Steam disclosure. He did admit, however, that the identical voice system implemented in The Finals was also utilized in Arc Raiders.

Our approach involves blend of professional actor recordings and audio generated via synthetic voice systems in our releases, depending on the context," commented a company spokesperson. In certain cases, capturing live performances where actors get together — enabling character chemistry and tension to define the final product — is something that provides substance to our virtual environments that technology can't emulate. For different situations, particularly if it involves dynamic gameplay announcements, synthetic voice permits us to have personalized speech where we typically could not e.g. due to production timelines."

Community Response

Initial response to the incorporation of AI technology in Arc Raiders has been relatively mixed, particularly in the initial period. A portion of the community have expressed strong opposition.

• Artificial intelligence dialogue is a flaw in an mostly outstanding game," commented one player in a forum post.
• I oppose that they did it for The Finals and am sad to hear they employed it once more for this game," commented another.
• The result was immediately noticeable in the dialogue delivery for one protagonist," mentioned a different user.

However, some users have adopted a more accepting attitude.

• "Don't give a fuck, they compensated performers and used it well," stated one community member.
• "This is as ethical as it gets these days, unfortunately," continued another.

The persistent debate about artificial intelligence use in video game production appears set to continue as studios balance development pace with creative quality and ethical considerations.