Fortnite AI Voices Land on 36 NPCs From July 30 - tbreak.com

Epic Games has announced that it is adding consistent AI-generated voices and personas to 36 existing Fortnite characters, enabling them to engage in unscripted dialogue. Starting July 30, creators using the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) will be able to utilize these voices to build interactive NPCs for custom islands.

What happened

The implementation of these new AI voices follows a previous, controversial project involving a Darth Vader chatbot that featured a synthesized voice of the late James Earl Jones. While Epic Games stated that the voice was used with the permission of the actor's family, the project faced significant backlash from the actors' union SAG-AFTRA. The union argued that the use of the deepfake voice displaced professional voice actors who could have performed the role. Additionally, users quickly exploited the chatbot to force the character to say inappropriate things, highlighting the risks of unscripted generative AI.

In response to this labor dispute and the technical challenges encountered, Epic has adopted a new approach for its current rollout. The company claims the new NPC voices are powered by performances from independent professional actors who explicitly agreed to have their work used to develop these AI models. Epic has stated that these tools are intended for creator-made islands rather than the core game’s storyline, and they are currently working to engage with relevant guilds and voice actors who have previously contributed to Fortnite Battle Royale to navigate future developments.