The Witcher: Geralt Voice Actor Doug Cockle Speaks Out On AI

Acclaimed voice actor Doug Cockle, best known for voicing Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher games, has spoken out against the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in his industry.

Cockle Raises His Voice

Speaking with IGN, the veteran voice actor was asked about his stance on the use of AI technology to both create new voices and recreate the vocal talents of established performers. Cockle took a hard stance on the matter, expressing his distaste for the idea. “I was contacted nearly three years ago by an AI company who wanted me to put my Geralt voice on their database. And I said no, and I still say no. But that’s not because I don’t like AI. It’s because I think with voice actors, particularly with voice actors who do main character roles, it is a reality that people are ripping our voices off,” Cockle said. “That’s happening. It’s happened to me on multiple occasions. I can’t even police it because I would spend all my time policing this stupid stuff.”

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Despite describing the integration of AI into the acting industry as “inevitable,” Cockle also noted his fears that the technology could use his voice to spread messages that he doesn’t agree with. “The scary part is that, and we have seen some of this as well, this is the bit that we really don’t like about AI, is that if they can do it for things that are just commercially questionable, then they can do it with things that are politically or ethically bad,” he continues. “Somebody could use AI to produce something racist using Geralt’s voice, using my voice, or just something against anything that most normal people think is good. That’s where the AI gets dangerous. Fake news, false news, false opinions.” Cockle does go on to say that his problem with AI has more to do with the people who use and manage it rather than the technology itself.

“I would think that if you put it into really personal terms, if somebody who isn’t a voice actor, and you’re a streamer for example. Or not even a big name streamer, or just someone who puts out instructional videos on YouTube or something like that,” Cockle said. “And somebody thinks you have a lovely voice, they rip off your voice, and then they put up an anti-abortion thing with your voice. And if that’s not something that you agree with, then you’d be offended. You’d feel like you’ve been wronged.”

The use of artificial intelligence to recreate voices has been an issue that has gained prominence in the last year. Many voice actors, including Spider-Man star Yuri Lowenthal, Red Dead Redemption 2 lead Roger Clark, and the iconic Tara Strong, have addressed their concerns regarding AI, calling on the companies responsible to regulate the technology.