Neil Newbon Slams AI Voice Acting in Gaming, Backing Human Performance
Neil Newbon, celebrated for voicing Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3, dismisses AI as emotionally hollow and insists that synthetic voice actors cannot replicate spontaneous human realism.
Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America
In a frank interview with Radio Times Gaming, actor Neil Newbon articulated what many performers fear: that AI voice acting lacks emotional nuance and improvisational fire. Known for bringing rogue vampire Astarion to life in Baldur’s Gate 3, Newbon argued that AI tools feel mechanical, devoid of the unscripted magic that makes lines like “I’m walking here!” resonate culturally.
Newbon emphasized the absence of “happy accidents”—those spontaneous creative moments that happen during a performance and bring vitality to a scene. “AI sucks at that,” he stated bluntly. His critique comes at a key moment, as studios consider deepening AI use in games for dubbing, background lines, or even full character performances.
The timing is crucial: SAG‑AFTRA just secured AI protections for video game voice and motion capture performers, requiring written consent and additional pay for any AI-generated incrementation beyond recorded sessions. Newbon’s comments reinforce why such protections matter: his emotional delivery, honed over takes, can’t be distilled into an algorithm without losing character.
Game studios reportedly are testing AI for minor NPC roles and localization. While efficiency gains are real—developers cite faster turnarounds and cost savings—Newbon warned these tools come at a creative cost. He noted that developers he knows “avoid AI because fixing it takes longer than doing it right in the first place.”
His perspective has strong industry support. For many voice actors, neutrality-oriented performance is intertwined with lived experience—the pauses, hesitations, laughter, stumbles—that AI lacks. Newbon said this quality matters most in emotionally rich narratives, where character empathy must override algorithmic precision.
AI advocates argue the technology will eventually catch up. Large language models and neural speech synthesis have advanced rapidly in recent years. But Newbon is steadfast: “AI content may sound realistic, but it doesn’t feel real.” His argument underscores the performative gap—one where creators and labor advocates are pushing for clarity around AI’s appropriate scope.
As Hollywood experiments with AI-powered dubbing or voice replication, Newbon’s rejection of synthetics reminds stakeholders that artistry matters. For unions, studios, and technologists, his testimony reinforces why human oversight, fair contracts, and acknowledgment of creative labor remain critical in the AI age.