Ubisoft’s latest Prince of Persia title, The Lost Crown, has sparked conversation not for its thrilling acrobatics or time-bending puzzles, but for its unusual use of text-to-speech technology.
A key character named Kalux speaks entirely through AI-generated dialogue, a stark contrast to the human voice acting employed for the rest of the cast. This unexpected quirk arose from a development hiccup: Ubisoft simply forgot to record lines for Kalux, and rather than delay the game’s release, opted for the unconventional text-to-speech solution.
While some players find Kalux’s robotic cadence charmingly quirky, others have expressed concerns about the potential drawbacks of such technology. The use of AI in video games is a burgeoning trend, and The Lost Crown’s Kalux stands as a prominent example, albeit an accidental one.
Prince of Persia’s awkward foray into text-to-speech isn’t a lone misstep. Titles like Genshin Impact and Ghostrunner 2 have raised similar eyebrows. And the recent shooter, The Finals, also faced heat for embracing AI-generated voices for some characters. Embark Studios, developer of The Finals, told IGN last fall that it “use[d] a combination of recorded voice audio and audio generated via TTS tools in our games, depending on the context.”
One key argument in text-to-speech’s favor is cost and efficiency. For smaller studios or side characters with minimal lines, it can be a tempting substitute. However, critics, including fellow developers and voice actors, decried the robotic tones and potential impact on livelihoods.
In the case of The Lost Crown, Ubisoft has assured players that Kalux’s voice will be patched with human voice acting in a future update. However, the incident has ignited a broader discussion about the ethical implications of AI in video games. Some worry that widespread adoption of text-to-speech could lead to homogenization and a decline in the quality of voice acting. Others fear the potential for AI to be used to create manipulative or harmful in-game characters.
The Lost Crown’s unexpected experiment with text-to-speech has thrust these concerns into the spotlight. While the game’s developers assure this was a one-off solution, it’s likely the debate surrounding AI in video games will continue to percolate, fueled by future titles that embrace this evolving technology.
