About

AI Voice Game Modding refers to the practice of modding dialogue generated with artificial intelligence voice models into various video games such as Skyrim, Fallout and Half-Life. Popularized soon after the release of AI tools such as ElevenLabs AI model, the practice led to clips of video game characters saying silly and offensive things going viral on YouTube, Twitter and TikTok in numerous memes.

History

On March 6th, 2020, an anonymous MIT researcher released the 15.ai software^[1] it had been working on for the previous two years. The software was advertised by a YouTube^[2] video from Valve News Network that showed off GlaDOS talking about the site and is one of the earliest examples of an AI being used to imitate a video game voice actor (shown below).

Fifteen.ai offered a selection of video game characters' voices for the purpose of speech synthesis, including GLaDOS and Wheatley from Portal, characters from Team Fortress 2, the Narrator from The Stanley Parable and Sans from Undertale, with AI-generated voice lines being used in memes.

Attempts at generating dialogues imitating original voice actors (other than premade 15.ai characters) with AIs and modding them into video games were posted to YouTube in mid-2021. For example, on April 29th, 2021, the YouTube^[3] channel Arctic Scrolls Mods posted a video titled, "Skyrim Guards Say Funny & Inappropriate Things," in which voice lines generated with an AI-based app xVASynth were modded into The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The video (shown below, left) gained over 14,000 views in two years. More early attempts to generate character dialogue with xVASynth were posted later in 2021 and in 2022. For example, on February 20th, 2022, YouTuber^[4] Ryuubu Sucks posted a video of Overwatch characters discussion Overwatch 2, which gained over 3,000 views in one year (shown below, right).

On January 23rd, 2023, the beta version of generative AI ElevenLabs, able to accurately "clone" a voice using provided sample material, was released. Starting in late January 2023, the AI was used to generate dialogues by various video game characters, initially most notably Dagoth Ur from Morrowind. For example, on January 30th, YouTuber^[5] Zanizoos posted one such video that gained over 179,000 views on YouTube in one month (shown below, left). Also that day, YouTuber^[6] Ghoulgash posted a video in which the AI imitated the voice of Melina from Elden Ring, with the video gaining over 18,000 views in a similar timeframe (shown below, right).

The trend continued in early February 2023, as users modded video games with AI-generated dialogue. For example, on February 1st, YouTuber^[7] MasterGIr showcased a Half-Life meme created by adding AI-generated dialogue into the game (shown below, left). The video received over 82,300 views in one month. On February 7th, YouTuber^[8] The Pootis Saver posted another Half-Life meme that gained over 65,000 views in a similar timeframe (shown below, right).

More modded content using AI-generated dialogue was shared on YouTube, TikTok and Twitter through February 2023. For example, on February 26th, 2023, Twitter^[9] user @OldMemeClown posted a video in which city guards use AI-generated dialogue, with the clip gaining over 106,000 views on Twitter in two days (originally created by TikToker @guard.of.whiterun; shown below).

pic.twitter.com/yg7Dj8OkZO

— Tired Meme Clown (@OldMemeClown) February 27, 2023

Related Memes

AI Dagoth Ur

AI Dagoth Ur is an AI Voice meme using Elder Scrolls character Dagoth Ur's voice with Elevenlabs' text-to-speech Eleven Labs AI. Videos tend to find Dagoth Ur reading known copypastas, receiving new in-game dialogue, or simply following a video creator's plot.

AI Presidents Gaming

AI Presidents Gaming refers to a series of AI-generated clips in which Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Barack Obama and other U.S. Presidents talk and argue in various multiplayer video games. Spawned by a comedy video in which Donald Trump doxxes Walter White Jr. from Breaking Bad, the format achieved popularity in February 2023 following the advance of Voice AIs such as ElevenLabs AI.

Search Interest

External References