Opinions on AI Pony Voices?

[Iforgotmybrain 5,870]

Hiya.

I’ve been considering making one or two mods that would more or less require the use of AI voices due to the complexity of the voice lines. One mod would be a voice line replacer for Jester in DCS, and the other would potentially be an advisor mod for Stellaris. Using existing voice lines from the show would only (maybe) work for Stellaris, and splicing lines together would just not be fun.

I know using AI voices of existing VAs/characters is a bit controversial, for understandable reasons. Which does lead me to my question, how do you folks feel about AI voices being used in that context? As part of a free mod for a game? How do you feel about AI voices of the ponies just in general?

I might not even end up going through with using AI if the quality isn’t there, that sort of monotone, distorted voice some AI voices have always bugs me.

Regardless, I am curious how people feel about it, just in case. Or for future reference for when AI voices get better if nothing else.

[Megas 27,819]

Not a fan at all. The idea of AI voice acting is very dystopian to me, given they're based off of a real person's voice and using that to make them say things they never said and probably don't want to say.

I'd rather just get imitation voices or pre-existing voice clips

[Crypty Scribbles 5,416]

My opinion on AI pony voices is complicated. In one hand it's nice to hear a live person effort and emotions. But in other hand international dub isn't equally quality in different countries and while one fans enjoy professional voice acting of local stars, others have only cheap dub made by people who don't even fit their roles or don't care about quality. In such case AI voice can save the day.

Talking about fan creation, here's one of my fav music albums. Voiced by AI.

 

 

[Iforgotmybrain 5,870]

58 minutes ago, Megas said:

Not a fan at all. The idea of AI voice acting is very dystopian to me, given they're based off of a real person's voice and using that to make them say things they never said and probably don't want to say.

I'd rather just get imitation voices or pre-existing voice clips

Using someone else's likeness without permission is like the main qualm I have with using the AI voices myself, even if I'm gaining basically nothing from doing so.

[Midnight Insight 149]

In the case that you wouldn't have paid for a voice actor anyway, and considering you aren't making money with it, it's okay. I'd rather see it done with AI than let it fade into the forgotten pile of things that will never get made just because of lack of financial resources.

IMHO, the very problem is multi-millionaire companies deciding not to pay voice actors just not to lose a tiny little bit of money, and instead, to train an AI with a concrete voice actor. That really bugs me and sounds just bad since AI doesn't completely understand the context well (yet...).

But for fanmade content that's free and made with love? I think it's fine and likeable; just like the album @Crypty Scribbles shared.

I love the AI as a technology as much as the huge amount of possibilities it offers, but I don't like economic abuse.

I also think the last word belongs to the voice actors whose voices are being copied, but I don't think it's easy have the chance to talk with them. 

I wish the best of luck in your project tho, with or without AI.