Horizon Forbidden West actress Ashly Burch responds to Sony’s controversial AI Aloy

Actress Ashly Burch has responded to the leaked AI Aloy images that circulated earlier this week.

The images appeared to confirm a Sony employee interacting with an on-screen AI version of the Horizon protagonist. The employee posed various questions to the AI Aloy, including “how are you?” to which the character replied she was fine but “dealing with a sore throat,” before providing some background lore from the Horizon universe.

Burch – who, in addition to portraying Aloy in Horizon, has been part of series like Life is Strange, Borderlands, and The Last of Us – has shared her views on the leaked images.

“I viewed the tech demonstration earlier this week,” Burch stated in a video shared across her social media platforms, mentioning that Horizon developer Guerrilla had been in touch with her to clarify that the “demo didn’t represent anything that was actively in production.”

Additionally, Sony “didn’t utilize any of [Burch’s] performances” for the demo. “Therefore, none of my facial or vocal data,” said the actress behind Aloy. “Guerrilla holds the rights to Aloy as a character.”

Nonetheless, “I feel anxious,” Burch continued. “I’m not worried specifically about Guerrilla, or Horizon, or my performance, or my career for that matter. I genuinely feel anxious about this entire medium.”

“Game performance as a form of art.”

Burch went on to reflect on the current SAG-AFTRA strikes, where AI is a significant aspect of the debate. “We’re advocating for protections,” Burch stated. “What we seek is that you must obtain our consent before creating an AI version of us in any form. You must compensate us appropriately and inform us how you intend to utilize this AI replica.”

Burch added that she doesn’t feel anxious due to the existence of the technology, nor because game companies are inclined to use it, reasoning that “of course they do – they always aim to leverage technological advancements”.

“I’m simply imagining a video like this being released, one that does feature someone’s performance. That includes someone’s voice, visage, or actions. And the possibility that if we lose this battle, that individual would have no means of recourse,” the actress expressed. “They would lack any protections. No way to fight back.

“And that possibility… it makes me deeply saddened. It pains me.”

Burch expressed her love for this industry and the creative process involved. She hopes for “a new generation of performers” and for “many more outstanding game performances” from those actors.

“I want the opportunity to continue in this profession, and if we fail to win, then that future is severely jeopardized,” Burch noted. “I’m truly not trying to call out any specific game company, certainly not Guerrilla, because again, I don’t believe… the technology itself is the issue. Game companies wanting to adopt the technology isn’t the problem. The problem is we are currently on strike, and the negotiating team will not agree to provide us sensible protections.”

Burch concluded by expressing her support for the strike, which she has always maintained. “Advocating is necessary to safeguard the future and sustainability of this career that we all cherish so much.”

You can view Burch’s full video in the embed below.

AI remains a controversial topic, with many online game developers exploring the technology. Last month,