Master Chief voice actor says he never wants AI cloning his hunky tones: 'That's where we cross a line… I don't like it, and I would prefer that it not be done'

Halo Campaign Evolved's Master Chief — (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

The actor behind the husky voice of Halo's Master Chief has become the latest high-profile industry figure to speak out against the use of generative AI to clone voice performances. Steve Downes takes particular issue with the nightmare scenario of AI being trained on real-life voice recordings to imitate those actors, whether living or dead.

In a YouTube AMA (spotted by GamesRadar+) Downes says he never wants to see AI used to replicate his voice. "That's where we cross a line that gets into an area that I am uncomfortable with," says Downes. "I'm not a proponent. I don't like it, and I would prefer that it not be done."

Perhaps conscious that he works in an industry where AI use is increasingly widespread, and does offer limited use cases, Downes does go on to slightly soften his stance outside of the topic of his own voice. AI can have "many, many positive effects on not only showbusiness but humanity in general" says Downes, but "can also be something that deprives the actor of his work. I'll go on the record with that."

“That’s When We Cross a Line”: Master Chief on AI Using His Voice - YouTube

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It's not quite Neil Newborn, Astarian in Baldur's Gate 3 among many other things, coming out and saying of AI: "It's shit… AI sucks." But at least it shows the cognisance among actors that they're facing something here that literally wants to replace them.

Downes returns to voice Master Chief in this year's Halo: Campaign Evolved, a ground-up remake of the original game. Not everyone's a fan. One quote in particular stood out to me as the final nail in the coffin of the console wars: "We're able to honour the Halo legacy on PlayStation."

Rich is a games journalist with 15 years' experience, beginning his career on Edge magazine before working for a wide range of outlets, including Ars Technica, Eurogamer, GamesRadar+, Gamespot, the Guardian, IGN, the New Statesman, Polygon, and Vice. He was the editor of Kotaku UK, the UK arm of Kotaku, for three years before joining PC Gamer. He is the author of a Brief History of Video Games, a full history of the medium, which the Midwest Book Review described as "[a] must-read for serious minded game historians and curious video game connoisseurs alike."

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