Amazon Games ‘Regrets Confusion’ Over CEO’s AI and Voice Actor Comments After Harsh Online Criticism

Amazon Games said it “regrets confusion” over remarks by CEO Christoph Hartmann on voice acting and AI that drew sharp criticism online, seeking to clarify that it thinks generative AI needs to be used “responsibly” and calling actors “essential creative contributors.”

Amazon’s statement was in response to a lengthy comment from Hartmann, in which he mused on the difficulties games face with lengthy development cycles, and suggested that AI may “streamline processes” and help shorten the time it takes to make games. Asked for his thoughts on the SAG-AFTRA union strike seeking better AI protections, Hartmann responded in part:

“[W]hen we talk about AI, first of all, hopefully it will help us to have new gameplay ideas, which has nothing to do with taking work away from anyone. And especially for games, we don’t really have acting… The majority of the team sits in programming and that’s not going to go away because that’s all about innovation. If it takes something, it will be really the boring parts,” he said.

He then went on to opine that it may be helpful in localization, then added that he doesn’t believe any technology can “replace human creativity and the uniqueness… There’s always something special.”

While Hartmann sought to moderate his comments, they nevertheless provoked anger in some quarters. SAG-AFTRA Interactive Media Agreement negotiating committee chair Sarah Elmaleh was among those who took to X/Twitter to criticize Hartmann, saying, “What’s funny about this whole Amazon Games CEO quote is *I* thought it sounded like AI had written his statement. Turns out I’ve been unfair. To the AI.”

She subsequently provided a lengthy statement to IGN on behalf of SAG-AFTRA.

“Games don’t really have acting” is a wild statement. I’ve devoted most of my life to games performance, just like whole generations of new performers inspired by great games performers before them. Swaths of fans seek out these performers to tell them how much they connect with these characters through their performances, and the humanity they bring to them.

I’m an actor and performance director, not a CEO. But it seems to me that several of the largest companies in the world sitting down to negotiate with us aren’t doing it for their health — it’s because they recognize the proven viability of a games business model that requires human performance, needs union performers. That player connection and emotional investment I mention is correlated with billions and billions of dollars. Not all kinds of games require performance, but giving up using actors completely might just represent a significant financial pivot or sunk loss cost for our bargaining partners. But again, I’m not a fancy business person.

When CEOs do speak effectively and accurately on behalf of their company, they do so by listening to their employees. Whether game design, localization, programming, acting, anything – these highly specialized and professionalized workers are the ones who understand whether and how AI might be assistive or detrimental in their work. And workers should have the right and the means to advocate for the proper use of this tool. That’s what SAG-AFTRA is doing, why I’m proud and grateful to be part of a union for this craft I love, and why I fully support the organizing efforts of developers who likewise deserve their say in how we implement this technology to best serve this industry, to best serve videogames, to best serve our audiences. To this and all CEOs, including our own bargaining group — we stand ready to negotiate.

Asked for clarification on what Hartmann meant by his comments, and for their response to the fact that games such as New World utilize voice actors, an Amazon spokesperson told IGN:

We regret the confusion stemming from these comments. Of course games developed and published by Amazon Games include actors, who we consider to be essential creative contributors, both now and in the future. Like most developers and publishers we do not keep actors on staff, and Christoph’s comments were specific to our internal development teams. As with any tool, we believe generative AI needs to be used responsibly and we’re carefully exploring how we can use it to help solve the technical challenges development teams face.

Generative AI has become a flash point among artists, actors, and other creators throughout the games industry, many of whom fear that they will see their roles reduced or replaced in an already volatile industry. In July, the SAG-AFTRA union went on strike in an affort to gain stronger AI protections for video game voice actors.

In a follow-up comment in response to Amazon’s statement, Elmaleh said, “If Amazon Games would like to explore how AI can be used responsibly to solve technical challenges in game development as it relates to acting, we welcome them to a direct dialogue at any time. We have the blueprint ready.”

In the meantime, Amazon Games is trying to expand its footprint outside of MMOs, among other things serving as the publisher for Tomb Raider and the recently-announced King of Meat. Earlier this week, Amazon Games and Bandai Namco announced that Blue Protocol would no longer be coming to the U.S. New World: Aeternum, an updated console release of the game released in 2021, is set to release on October 15.

Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.