Harrison Ford shares his thoughts on AI in video games & voice acting

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a unique example of video games as a vehicle to revive a beloved old franchise. With a compelling story, and a stunning recreation of a young Harrison Ford, Troy Baker delivered a performance that left fans feeling they just saw a young Indy for the first time.

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(Credit: Bethesda)

In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, the beloved actor sat down to discuss his career. From his early days as a carpenter, to his latest appearance as Red Hulk in Marvel's Thunderbolts. After briefly touching on the box office performance of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny ("Shit happens") he shared his thoughts regarding the video game franchise.

"[Troy Baker] did a brilliant job, and it didn't take AI to do it," he said, praising Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Artificial intelligence is currently a contention point in Hollywood, with the technology affecting everything from writing, special effects, graphic design, and acting. With an acting career spanning 60 years, he's naturally expressed concerns about the tools being used to substitute creativity.

"What scares me about AI is when it begins to pretend to be a creative opportunity,", he warned.

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A de-aged Harrison Ford in the Dial of Destiny (Credit: LucasFilm)

In the video game industry, we're seeing a similar pattern. AI is being incorporated into storytelling, gameplay mechanics, writing, and the code itself. Tom's Hardware reported that over 1,000 games are using generative AI. GamerBlurb also highlighted that 62% of game developers are utilizing the tool in the production pipeline.

On the subject of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Ford had nothing but praise for his video game counterpart. Highlighting not only the "great job" by Troy Baker, but the ethical blend of technology used to achieve it.

"You don't need artificial intelligence to steal my soul. You can already do it for nickels and dimes with good ideas and talent,"

As the AI race escalates, and generative AI disrupts industries, it remains an open question - what defines the ethical use of AI in video games? What are the implications for video game writers, voice actors, and developers?

Only time can tell. But in Harrison Ford's eyes, the less AI the better.