“It emulates and it replicates, but it doesn’t innovate” – Troy Baker isn’t afraid of ‘AI art’, because he doesn’t believe it can ever actually exist

Troy Baker is one of the most well known actors in video games, with credits ranging from Batman’s Joker to The Last of Us’ Joel, and many more in between. Along with starring roles in established franchises such as the lead in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Baker has also lent his talents to all-new indies, such as voicing the cigar-munching Jack Pepper in quirky black-and-white vintage Disney-styled shooter Mouse P.I. for Hire.

But the world of video games is changing. The AI boom threatens to impact every aspect of game development, from the concept stage right through to the implementation of voices and actors themselves. A number of studios in recent years have used the controversial tech to generate art and voices for their games including Arc Raiders’ Embark, which was criticised for featuring AI-generated voice lines instead of having human actors record them – a decision Embark later walked back on. In 2023, the developer was similarly called out for using AI for the commentator voiceovers in its team based shooter The Finals. This is the type of role that first allowed Horizon Zero Dawn actress Ashly Burch to break into the industry, and she has been vocal about her worries that others will not have the same opportunities as she did if AI continues to be used for voice work.

But despite these ongoing concerns around AI use, Baker does not believe the technology will ever ultimately take over an actor’s job, or indeed any job where human creation is at its core. “[Saying] ‘authentic art’ is almost like saying ‘a flying aeroplane’,” Baker explained during a recent interview with Eurogamer. “It’s a bit redundant because art is by the very nature of itself authentic. Art is a human expression, so I don’t have to worry about whether there can be ‘AI art’. That’s not what it does. It is not creating anything.” Baker previously said to demonise AI would be a mistake, and the technology will actually drive people to seek out “authentic” experiences over the “the gruel that gets distilled … through a black mirror”. However, the actor noted we have to accept that AI is here, whether we like it or not.

Baker told Eurogamer if his attention was on commerce or generating ‘content’, he would understand the concern, but that is not where his focus lies. “I believe in [games and acting] as an artform,” he explained, “I believe in this as a medium by which to tell incredible interactive stories, and compelling stories. So, my focus is that, and I am not afraid. I am going to continue to do what I do, which is create art.”

Elaborating further, Baker said he doesn’t “have to worry about AI coming in and doing what I do, because what I do, is what I do”, though he admitted what he does can be replicated. “There is nothing I can do about that,” he said. “If I want to focus on the legislation of it, then maybe I can do that as a separate thing, but it takes my focus away from what I say I want to do, which is to make art, which is all I can focus on.”

Baker touched on the recent SAG-AFTRA strike that concluded last year, and of which AI use and protection for actors were a key part of the conversation. “I think that right now is a very precarious point in the industry, where we get to decide how we are going to work, how we are going to continue to progress this medium, and how we are going to continue to tell good stories and craft high-caliber experiences for players,” Baker said, when asked how the industry was doing post-strike. “We’ve got a lot of different tools at our disposal to be able to do that. I know that one way you can’t create is out of fear. The second that we are focused on the worst part of this industry, we are taking our eyes off the best of it.” He added that while he tries “to stay aware of what is going on inside the industry”, and will “reach out to my friends when there is downsizing in the industry to make sure they are doing ok”, ultimately, Baker chooses to “keep my eyes focused in front of me”.

As for what is in front of him, the actor is set to appear in Naughty Dog’s next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Baker also has plans to create his own video game in the future, telling Eurogamer he is now “beginning the conversations” of what story he wants to tell, and who he wants to tell it with.

Before all that though, Baker’s portrayal of the whip-welding Indy can now be enjoyed on Nintendo consoles, following the release of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Switch 2 last week. Eurogamer contributor Fran Ruiz recently shared his thoughts on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s Switch 2 port, and he was impressed.

“Alongside Cyberpunk 2077, Star Wars Outlaws, and Resident Evil Requiem, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is one of the stronger third-party efforts I’ve seen on Switch 2,” he said. “It’s yet more proof that Nintendo’s current-gen hardware can punch above its weight and even improve on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s wobbly handheld PC performance thanks to a DLSS crutch and fresh optimisations.”