The Horizon Zero Dawn series presents a cautionary tale about the reckless application of artificial intelligence and the pursuit of technological advancement without considering the consequences. Thus, many fans found it highly ironic that Sony chose Aloy, the game’s main character, to showcase its new AI-powered character prototypes.
“The entire game is a warning against this kind of nonsense,” one Reddit user wrote, encapsulating the general sentiment. Another replied, “The irony of this… hits so hard.” In Horizon Zero Dawn, the world met its end because of a rogue AI that spawned self-replicating robots, which consumed all organic matter. While the new AI-powered Aloy is not necessarily an agent of destruction, it still raised eyebrows as to why the company is investing in what seems a generally unwanted development.
One Redditor clarified, “The point [of Horizon] is not ‘AI is bad,'” but rather that misusing it is. Many people embrace the idea of AI handling menial tasks like shopping assistance, but others are skeptical about its role in creative fields.
Ashly Burch, the actress who plays Aloy in Horizon Zero Dawn, also weighed in on the controversy surrounding Sony’s AI Aloy. Burch is pushing for better actor protections. “You have to compensate us fairly, and you have to tell us how you’re using this AI,” she stated, echoing concerns about the potential displacement of human performers by AI.
On Twitter, one user wrote, “Oh cool, the main character from hit game ‘don’t replace humans with AI’ is now replacing the cast with AI. I love it here.” Another Reddit user commented in jest, “The point is that billionaires are dumb.”
It is interesting to consider what Aloy herself would think of an AI version of herself. Considering that she is already a clone, this might be comforting to her. This would be an interesting plot point, which could be utilized in a sequel to Horizon Forbidden West.
