French Voice Actors for Apex Legends Fight Back Against AI

The French voice actors of Apex Legends are making headlines after reportedly rejecting a contract clause involving AI training. Pascale Chemin, the voice of Wraith in the French version of the popular battle royale game, brought this issue to light on Twitter. She revealed that a publisher, likely Electronic Arts, included a stipulation in their agreement that would allow their vocal performances to be used for training AI models. While the game and publisher aren’t explicitly named, the evidence suggests it involves Apex Legends and EA.

Chemin isn’t alone in her stance. A total of 31 other voice actors from the project have also declined to sign the agreement, expressing their disapproval through a collective letter to the publisher.

In a translated statement shared on ResetEra, Chemin pointed out a crucial concern: “If we don’t stand together now to ensure a clause protecting our voices is included in our contracts—applicable to every gaming dubbing studio—not just for us here, we’re setting ourselves up for a future disaster.”

Chemin’s message resonated further as she addressed the current struggles faced by many in the industry: “Of course, refusing work right now seems impractical. Opportunities are scarce for several of us, and financially, it’s challenging. Yes, we need the income. But what’s being asked isn’t just to work. We’re being asked to sacrifice our skills to help develop the AI that could replace us. It’s a contradiction to our cause, almost like sabotaging our own future. Essentially, they want us to back AI.”