CD Projekt Red Uses AI to Preserve Geralt's Original Voice in The Witcher 3
Polish actor Jacek Rozenek will voice Geralt again, while a neural network will help adapt his changed voice to the original sound.
CD Projekt Red has decided to use artificial intelligence to preserve the voice of Jacek Rozenek, the Polish actor who voices Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher series. The technology will be applied during work on the Songs of the Past expansion for The Witcher 3.
In 2019, Rozenek suffered a stroke, after which he was unable to speak for several months. Thanks to prolonged rehabilitation, the actor regained his speech and returned to work, but his voice became deeper and raspier.
To ensure the character's new lines match the sound of the original game, CD Projekt Red is collaborating with Respeecher, a company specializing in AI-powered voice cloning. The technology will analyze around 10,000 of Rozenek's lines from The Witcher 3 and help replicate the former characteristics of his voice.
However, all new phrases for the expansion will be recorded by the actor himself. Rozenek supported this decision and expressed confidence that he would be able to continue playing Geralt.
CD Projekt Red's localization producer, Mikołaj Szwed, called this case an example of ethical use of artificial intelligence, as the technology is being used with the performer's consent.
