French Lara Croft voice actress claims developer used AI to alter her voice

In another instance of growing frustration over artificial intelligence replacing human labor, Françoise Cadol, the French voice actress for Lara Croft in Tomb Raider IV-VI, has issued a legal notice to Aspyr Media, a subsidiary of the Embracer Group. The accusation revolves around the alleged use of AI to alter her voice performances in a recent update to the Tomb Raider collection.

Cadol, a vocal critic of AI and a member of the French anti-AI group “Touch pas à ma VF,” noticed the potential AI modification after Aspyr’s August patch for the game. The update included restored voice-overs, volume tweaks, and other audio adjustments. While the patch notes only specifically mentioned changes to the Brazilian Portuguese localization, attentive fans soon detected unusual variations in Cadol’s voice performance. The discrepancy was enough to draw her attention.

In a video comparison, fans noticed a clear difference in her original performance versus the altered version. Cadol herself described the AI-modified voice as sounding "metallic" when speaking to Le Parisien. Negative reviews on Steam also expressed similar concerns, accusing Aspyr of incorporating AI in the update. While some skeptics suggest there may be other audio factors at play, there’s a noticeable rigidity in the sound that many attribute to AI.

Aspyr Media has yet to respond to these allegations. The controversy also extends to fan speculations about AI being used for newly added loading screen voices, though this claim remains unconfirmed.

This situation highlights a broader anxiety surrounding AI’s growing role in creative industries. As technology improves, there’s increasing concern that companies are replacing talented human workers with machines, undermining the artistry that makes creative works meaningful. It’s a sign of the times we live in, where the intersection of tech and labor raises more questions than answers.