AI voice cloning of Lara Croft sparks backlash over Tomb Raider update

PARIS — AI-cloning of Lara Croft's French-language voice has roiled fans and actors after Aspyr's Aug. 14 update to Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered. The update appeared to introduce AI-generated segments that replaced Cadol's long-standing performances, a change that Cadol and fans say sounds robotic and devoid of the warmth she has brought to Croft since 1996.\n\nCadol told the Associated Press that the audio sounded as if a machine had replaced her and said she had contacted her lawyer. "It's pathetic," Cadol said. "My voice belongs to me. You have no right to do that." Aspyr acknowledged in a post on its site that the update included "unauthorized AI generated content" and said it had removed all AI voiceover content. "We’ve addressed this issue by removing all AI voiceover content," the post said. "We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused."\n\n\n\nCadol, who has voiced Lara Croft in French since 1996, said fans immediately noticed the change and that the experience left a sour impression of the remastered release. She described the moment as a breach of trust with her audience, many of whom have followed her work for decades. The drama has drawn attention to the broader question of AI in voice acting and who controls the rights to a performer’s voice after it is recorded.\n\nRomain Bos, a Paris-based gamer and longtime Tomb Raider enthusiast, was among those who flagged the issue online. He told the AP that the mix of Cadol’s voice with AI-generated tones felt like a betrayal to a character fans feel they know intimately. Bos, who has grown up with Cadol’s portrayal, said: "It’s half Françoise Cadol, half AI. It’s horrible! Why have they done that?" He later posted a reaction video that underscored the emotional stakes for fans who have formed a close connection to the French Croft.\n\nThe incident has sparked a broader debate within the voice-acting community about AI cloning and its impact on careers. Patrick Kuban, a French-language voice actor and co-president of United Voice Artists, said the Tomb Raider episode is a stark reminder of the risks AI poses to human workers. "If we can replace actors, we’ll be able to replace accountants, and a whole range of other professions that could also be automated," Kuban said in an Associated Press interview. "So we need to ask ourselves the right questions: How far should we go, and how do we regulate these machines?" Kuban noted that voices are being captured for illicit uses on social media and by content producers who aren’t necessarily in the same country, complicating enforcement and control over such assets.\n\nCadol, who has spent 12 years recording French-language lines for Lara Croft, describes her fans as the guardians of her work. After the initial shock subsided, she said she would pursue legal redress. Her Paris-based lawyer, Jonathan Elkaim, has indicated that Cadol is seeking an apology from Aspyr and financial compensation for the unauthorized use of her voice. The case has prompted concern in Hollywood and beyond about AI guardrails in contracts and the need for clear licensing and consent when AI is employed to reproduce a performer’s voice.\n\nIndustry observers say the Tomb Raider controversy underscores a broader shift in how AI technologies intersect with creative labor. While developers argue that AI can streamline localization and content creation, performers and unions warn that insufficient safeguards could undermine livelihoods and the integrity of beloved characters. The episode has already become a touchstone in ongoing conversations about consent, attribution, and the boundaries of AI-assisted performance in games and media.\n