Master Chief voice actor Steve Downes says AI 'can deprive an actor of his work'

The real-life Master Chief isn't too keen about AI taking his job and reproducing his voice, and while Xbox has no plans to replace him, that isn't the case everywhere.

AI is everywhere, and practically every company is trying to use it to save money. Sometimes this means laying off thousands of workers, replacing them with automated systems in an attempt to simultaneously save money and boost productivity. In the entertainment industry, AI hasn't taken over just yet, but some (like James Earl Jones, for example) have sold their likeness to be reproduced by AI.

Microsoft is one such company that has invested heavily into AI, dumping billions into the tech, leading to company-wide adoption. Xbox has utilized AI in unique ways, creating a generative AI simulator that can render games without any coding from a game developer. Xbox has also made deals with AI companies like inWorld to make AI-generated stories, quests, and dialogue.

• Read more: Master Chief actor Steve Downes pushed back against Halo 5's infamous misleading marketing

While Xbox and Microsoft haven't started replacing voice actors with AI-generated modulators, the tech is already putting some developers out of work, and performers like Master Chief voice actor Steve Downes fear that the performance arts might be next.

In a recent video on his channel, Steve Downes, the actor that portrays Master Chief in the Halo series, essentially says that he wishes AI wasn't used because it can ultimately "deprive a voice actor of his work."

"The appreciation from the fans is so gratifying, and humbling, that it's just all good. It's a love fest, when we do these things.

"One of the things that can be overwhelming when it comes to attention from fans is when AI gets involved. A lot of it is harmless, I suppose, but some of it cannot be harmless.

"I've been very vocal about my use of artificial intelligence. Which, on one hand is inevitable, and has many positive effects on not only show business but humanity in general. But it can also be a detriment, and it can also be something that deprives the actor of his work.

"I've heard some things online in terms of AI reproductions of my voice--it sounds like my voice--most of the stuff I've seen is pretty harmless, but it can be not that way real quick.

"So, I'm not a proponent, I don't like it, and I would prefer that it not be done.

"There's a lot of fan-made projects out there that are really cool and that are made just by heart. But when you get to the AI part, and deceiving somebody into thinking these are lines that I actually spoke when they are not--that's when we cross the line and gets into an area that I am uncomfortable with."