Ashly Burch voices and performs Aloy in Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. She objected after footage emerged of an internal Sony prototype in which an AI-powered Aloy answered spoken questions with generated dialogue, synthesized speech and facial animation.
Burch says Guerrilla Games told her the demonstration was not an active project and did not use her voice, facial data or other performance data. Her concern is therefore not that Sony secretly replaced her in a released game; it is whether performers will get consent, payment, disclosure and a meaningful remedy when companies create AI versions of characters or people.
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Who voices Aloy in the Horizon games?
Ashly Burch is Aloy’s voice and performance actor in Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. Her work encompasses the character’s spoken performance and the acting used to shape Aloy’s on-screen behavior and expression.
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What Sony’s AI Aloy prototype did
An internal technology demonstration
The Verge reported on March 10, 2025, that Sony PlayStation’s Advanced Technology Group had demonstrated an AI-powered Aloy from Horizon Forbidden West. The system accepted spoken questions and produced answers with generated dialogue, synthetic speech and facial animation.
The reported technology stack included OpenAI Whisper for speech-to-text, GPT-4 and Llama 3 for conversation and decision-making, Sony’s Emotional Voice Synthesis for speech, and Mockingbird for matching audio to facial movement. Sony engineer Sharwin Raghoebardajal described it as “just a glimpse of what is possible.”
It was not announced as a game feature
The demonstration was described as an internal prototype, not a confirmed product or a feature announced for a future Horizon release. The available reporting does not establish that Sony plans to put this AI Aloy into Horizon, replace Burch, or ship the system to players.
Why Ashly Burch was upset
Guerrilla’s explanation to Burch
In a TikTok and Instagram video reported on March 16–17, 2025, Burch said Guerrilla contacted her after the footage circulated. She said the studio told her the demo “didn’t reflect anything that was actively in development.” She also said: “They didn’t use any of my performance for the demo, so none of my facial or voice data.”
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- Advanced graphical rendering
On the evidence publicly reported, the answer to “Did Sony clone Ashly Burch’s voice for this demo?” is no. Guerrilla told her that her voice, facial data and other performance data were not used. That statement does not establish what data was used instead, or how Sony might develop similar systems in the future.
Her objection is about rules for every performer
Burch said, “The technology isn’t the problem. The problem is we’re currently on strike, and the bargaining group will not agree to give us common sense protections.” She framed the issue as protection for game performance as an art form, not simply a dispute over her own role as Aloy.
Her requested safeguards were explicit: “You have to get our consent before you make an AI version of us in any form. You have to compensate us fairly and you have to tell us how you’re using this AI double.” She also warned that without enforceable protections, a performer could have no practical recourse after an AI likeness or voice was created.
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The dispute occurred during SAG-AFTRA’s interactive-media strike over artificial-intelligence protections. Burch’s comments identify four connected demands:
- Consent: a performer should agree before an AI version of their voice, face, likeness or performance is made.
- Compensation: payment should reflect the creation and use of an AI double, rather than treating the work as cost-free reuse.
- Disclosure: performers should be told how their data and AI representation will be used.
- Recourse: contracts or law should provide a way to challenge unauthorized or harmful use.
These demands concern the relationship between actors and game companies. They do not amount to a claim that every conversational game system is unlawful or that AI tools cannot be used in development.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Human Aloy and the prototype: what is different?
| Issue | Burch’s performance | Reported Sony prototype |
|---|---|---|
| Authorship and consent | A credited actor creates the performance under an employment or performance agreement. | The public reporting does not identify a human performer whose work authorized the prototype. |
| Voice, face and motion data | Burch supplied Aloy’s performance for the released games. | Guerrilla told Burch that none of her voice, facial or other performance data was used. |
| Conversation | Written and directed dialogue is delivered as part of a designed story and performance. | The system generated replies to spoken questions using language models and speech synthesis. |
| Expressive quality and narrative control | Established acting, direction and authored scenes shape Aloy’s characterization. | The reported demonstration shows technical possibility, but no published evaluation establishes its artistic quality or its effect on Horizon storytelling. |
| Disclosure and compensation | Terms depend on the actor’s contract and applicable protections. | No commercial release terms, performer agreement or compensation arrangement were announced for the prototype. |
| Recourse | A performer may rely on contractual, union or legal remedies, depending on the agreement and jurisdiction. | The public reports do not establish what remedy would apply to a performer whose work was used without permission. |
Is the AI Aloy demo coming to Horizon?
There is no confirmed release announcement for the prototype. The strongest public descriptions point in opposite directions: the engineer presented it as an internal glimpse of what might be possible, while Burch said Guerrilla told her it did not reflect something actively in development.
Those statements leave the status clear enough for players: the reported demo should not be treated as a promised mode, an announced sequel feature or evidence that Burch’s Aloy has been replaced.
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What this means for players and future actors
For players, the immediate story is about the difference between a technology demonstration and a shipped game. For performers, the deeper question is who controls a recognizable voice or character performance after recording sessions end.
Burch said she loves the industry and wants a new generation of actors and more outstanding game performances. Her argument is that innovation should preserve that human creative pipeline by making permission, payment, transparency and remedies part of the deal before an AI double is created.
Quick Recap
What readers can conclude
- Ashly Burch is Aloy’s voice and performance actor in Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West.
- Sony demonstrated an internal AI Aloy prototype that answered spoken questions; it was not announced as a released feature.
- Guerrilla told Burch that the demo was not actively in development and did not use her performance, voice or facial data.
- Burch’s objection focuses on consent, fair compensation, disclosure and recourse for all game performers during the SAG-AFTRA interactive-media strike.
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