CD Projekt Red Uses AI to Restore Geralt's Voice After Actor's Stroke
Polish actor Jacek Rozenek consents to AI vocal restoration for The Witcher 3 expansion.
1AI Vocal Restoration Initiative
CD Projekt Red is employing AI technology to restore the voice of Jacek Rozenek, the Polish actor for Geralt of Rivia. The project involves the upcoming Songs of the Past expansion for The Witcher 3. This intervention aims to match Rozenek's current vocal tone with his performance from a decade ago.
2Health Challenges and Recovery
In 2019, Rozenek suffered a stroke that temporarily left him unable to speak. Although he returned to work for the 2022 next-gen update, the process was physically exhausting. His voice has since become deeper and gravelly, creating a tonal mismatch for content set during the original game's timeline.
3Collaborative Technical Process
CD Projekt partnered with Respeecher to process the new lines recorded by Rozenek. The studio provided the company with extensive audio archives from the original game to train the voice model. This algorithm adjusts the actor's current performance to replicate the specific vocal qualities he possessed twelve years ago.
4Actor Consent and Trust
Rozenek fully supports the use of AI, citing his deep familiarity with the character and trust in the developers. He stated that the goal is to ensure his current performance sounds as close as possible to his original portrayal. The actor remains the primary performer for all new lines.
5Ethical Use of Technology
Localization producer Mikołaj Szwed acknowledges the industry's ethical concerns regarding generative AI. However, he defends this specific application as an ethical use case driven by health necessity rather than cost-cutting. The studio maintains that this is a special exception and not a standard policy for future game development.
6Historical Precedent at CDPR
This is not the studio's first collaboration with Respeecher. CD Projekt previously used the technology to recreate the voice of the late Miłogost Reczek for Cyberpunk 2077. In that instance, the studio secured explicit permission from the actor's family to honor his performance after his passing in 2021.
7Industry Context and Scrutiny
The use of generative AI remains a contentious topic within the gaming industry. Recent controversies include the Independent Games Festival banning AI-assisted entries and the revocation of awards for games using AI art. CD Projekt's approach highlights the tension between technological utility and the preservation of human performance.
8Future Studio Strategy
CD Projekt has clarified that it will not use AI to alter the performance of English voice actor Doug Cockle. Furthermore, future Witcher titles set later in the timeline will not require such modifications, as natural vocal aging will be narratively consistent with the characters' progression in the game world.
Original article: PC Gamer — CD Projekt Red Uses AI to Restore Geralt's Voice After Actor's Stroke