French Voice Cast of Apex Legends Takes a Stand Against AI

The voice talents behind the French version of Apex Legends have reportedly declined to sign a contract that would have allowed their voices to be used for AI training purposes.

Pascale Chemin, who lends her voice to the character Wraith in the French localization of this popular battle royale game, raised this issue on Twitter. She pointed out that the publisher, which is very likely Electronic Arts, included a clause that would permit the use of their voice recordings to train AI systems. While the game and publisher are not directly named, it’s almost certain that they’re referring to Apex Legends and EA.

In addition, all 31 voice actors involved in this project have also reportedly refused to agree to this term and have collectively sent a refusal letter to the publisher.

Chemin highlighted the importance of standing united to ensure that a clause protecting their voices is established not just for them, but for all video game dubbing professionals. “If we don’t unite now for the inclusion of a clause to protect our voices in contracts – an issue that extends beyond us to all game dubbing studios – we risk losing this battle,” she wrote, as translated on ResetEra.

She continued by acknowledging the harsh reality many voice actors face today. With limited job opportunities, taking a stand isn’t easy. “Refusing work doesn’t make sense when jobs are scarce and financial struggles are real for many of us. Sure, a paycheck would be nice, but this isn’t just about working. It’s about surrendering our skills to help build the AI that might replace us in the future. We’re being asked to endorse what we’ve been fighting against. It’s like shooting ourselves in the foot. They want us to support AI.”