“AI is a Hammer”, says Mass Effect’s Jennifer Hale, we must not be the nail

“How do you have a good time in an industry that feels like it says no all the time?” This is the question that renowned voice actor Jennifer Hale is wrestling with on behalf of those who would follow in her footsteps. 

Hale has brought the power of her voice to many iconic characters, including Commander Shepard in Mass Effect, Ashe in Overwatch, and Bastila Shan in Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. VideoGamer spoke with her about her efforts to light the way for new voice actors and how they might avoid dreaded industry pitfalls, including today’s elephant in the room: AI.

✓ VideoGamer Summary

• Jennifer Hale has taught voice acting workshops to demystify the voice acting industry.
• Workshops like these equip up-and-coming voice actors with professionally made tools of the trade.
• Hale explains that AI is a tool, capable of great damage if used unwisely. 
• She emphasises three important ways for voice actors to keep control of how their work is used: “control, consent, and compensation”.
• Community is the cornerstone of healthy fandom.

New generation, new lessons

Hale is one of the founders behind Skillshub, an educational toolkit offering voice acting classes as well as one-to-one coaching. “I have been giving back and teaching for a little while now, and I love it”, she says, expressing her passion for teaching her students. 

And Hale isn’t the only one passionate about teaching new voice talent. “I have now almost 100 of my peers who are working actors, casting directors, vice directors who’ve come in to offer their services, coaching by the minute,” she adds, praising her fellow industry professionals.

However, given the callousness of the modern gaming industry and the spectre of AI, Hale offers direct advice not only to her students but to all who might be affected by this emergent technology.  

“AI is headed for all of us. Entertainment just happens to be in the front of the line”, Hale explains.

Hale advises us “not to ‘other’ AI”, viewing it as a tool rather than something that’s intrinsically positive or negative. “I can take my hammer and I can break kneecaps, or I can take my hammer and I can build you a house. I’m the one wielding the hammer.” 

When asked what practical steps actors might take to ensure the hammer is properly used, Hale offered a concise set of rules centred around  “control, consent and compensation”. 

“Make certain that your voice is only used in situations you consent to and that you have control over what it’s used for. If you’re going to take somebody’s sound or image, you’d better pay them for it, because otherwise to me that’s theft”.

Hale continues: “It is the choices of humans around how we use these tools that have the greatest impact. We are all responsible for the consequences of those choices.” 

The implications are clear: if we choose to use the hammer responsibly today, we can set the precedent for when it should and should not be used, thereby building a solid, collaborative, and accessible voice acting industry.

A human touch

On this topic of the human consequences of technological advancements in the industry, Hale was keen to emphasise hopeful positive changes in the world of voice acting. 

“I’ve seen an incredible amount of representation in terms of people’s ethnic background and geographic location”, praises Hale, who emphasises the importance of the industry opening its doors.. “Technology has come so far that acting has gotten to evolve, in games especially, to a film and television approach. You can live an experience and that comes across.”

Motion capture and photorealism are becoming an everyday part of the industry. “The visuals have come to the point where now, we can really allow a real level of human truth to happen in the recording”, Hale continues. 

“It translates, and it’s an absolute joy”.

Hale’s goal is to allow new talent to best take advantage of these changes by inspiring resilience, savviness, and confidence in her students. 

“You’re not booking this or that, but you’re not meant to book every audition, but we’re teaching people that it’s normal”, Hale explains. Here, Hale walks the line every teacher must walk, encouraging her students while also keenly reminding them of the long road ahead. 

Virtuous cycle

“I don’t honestly use the term fans very often; to me it’s the community,” Hale explains. “Without the community, there’s no one to receive the work we do”. She agrees that this is a symbiotic relationship, where one would not exist without the other.

“Writers make the world go round. Without the writers, we don’t have anything; they generate the things that we do,” Hale continues.

“I just want to say to everyone out there, thank you so much. For being there, for playing, for watching, and for being such a beautiful part of this symbiotic circle.”

What Hale says does not just apply to voice acting, but to every part of the games industry. All of us have the power to wield our respective hammers for positive, community-driven purposes. It’s up to us, fans, journalists, and creators to lift one another and to maintain and expand the symbiotic circle.

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