Neil Newbon says Arc Raiders AI voice work is 'dull as hell' and should be redone with actors

Neil Newbon, the actor who voices Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3, criticized the use of AI text-to-speech in other games and suggested studios could return to re-record lines with real performers once a title has proved successful. Newbon made the remarks in an interview with PCGamesN, where he described much of the current AI voice work as “dull as hell.”

Newbon singled out the economics of the choice, saying the cost of recording lines is small compared to total development budgets and that studios that find commercial success could afford to hire actors to redo AI-generated lines. He framed the issue as one of fairness, adding that using AI in place of a contracted session takes a day’s fee and can hurt performers who rely on that income.

The remarks landed while Arc Raiders, a recent title that used AI text-to-speech for some lines, remained active in live service. Discussions about Arc Raiders’ implementation and updates continue across outlets and communities. Console PC Gaming recently noted Embark Studios’ roadmap for the game and the planned Cold Snap update arriving December 16, which shows the studio is still investing in the live experience for players with new content and conditions.

Newbon also argued the practice raises intellectual property and ethical questions when a studio uses or manipulates someone else’s voice without paying them for the session. The actor and other cast members from Baldur’s Gate 3 have previously spoken out about voice cloning and the way AI is being used in the industry. Developers and publishers have yet to settle on a standard approach to AI voice tools. Some teams treat AI as a placeholder during early production while planning to replace it later. Other studios have leaned on text-to-speech in live service content to move faster or reduce costs. Newbon’s comments add pressure on studios to consider performers’ pay and the audio quality players hear in finished releases.

Follow-up questions about the use of AI in voice work and how developers plan to address it can be shared with the reporter team on social channels, including X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.