Embark Studios is defending its use of generative AI voice lines in ARC Raiders while saying those lines are being replaced with human performances. In a new official video about the game’s sound and music, audio director Bence Pajor said recording every variant of every line would be too much for actors: “The actors would just go crazy if they had to read all of that.”
The comments were first highlighted by Eurogamer, which walked through the video on November 3.
Why Embark says it used AI voices
Pajor described a problem he ran into at previous studios: gameplay decisions could not change because voice lines were already locked in, which he called a “true pain.” He said it put pressure on writers, the dialogue team and actors juggling scheduling clashes. Working with voice actors who are reachable in Stockholm, plus the tools Embark had available, made life easier for everyone, he argued.
According to Pajor, the training data was built from the voice actors’ own performances. Because new features, items and weapons all need lines, and ARC Raiders has changed a lot through updates since its October 2025 launch, he said calling actors back for every altered read would not be practical.
What the actors said
Two actors appear in the video: Jo Rideout, who voices Shani, and Diana Gardner, who voices Celeste. Gardner said it was “freeing” to be able to take work elsewhere without worrying about cancelling other shoots.
She was more conflicted about the end result. “The contract seemed so fair […] so it was a no-brainer in that sense. But I didn’t know what to expect once I heard the voice come out. I was like, ‘Can I take ownership for the performance?’ […] This is hours of work that I’ve put in, but can I take ownership for the final product? No.”
Celeste has already been a focus for Embark, which rebuilt the character with full motion capture.
Human reads are coming in
Is Embark keeping the AI lines? No. Chief creative officer Stefan Strandberg said the studio is replacing them and acknowledged that many players found the AI performances immersion breaking. Both he and Pajor said they understand the criticism.
“We are not in the industry of replacing actors,” Strandberg said. “Actually I think quite the opposite. We should celebrate the performance and give them more space. That’s something I’m hoping to give to players over the coming years.”
The AI voices drew criticism in reviews of ARC Raiders, and Embark faced similar pushback over AI voice work in The Finals. Strandberg did not give a firm date for finishing the swap, pointing instead to the coming years.
