CD Projekt Red recently released Phantom Liberty, the only planned expansion for Cyberpunk 2077. The expansion used AI technology to replicate the voice of one of its characters.
The studio shared that it secured permission from the family to clone his voice for the expansion. Reczek voiced Doctor Viktor Vektor in a localized version of Cyberpunk 2077. The voice actor passed away in 2021 before he could reprise his role in the expansion.
The news that CD Projekt Red used AI to replicate Reczek's voice first came out a month before Phantom Liberty was released. The news received widespread attention after the studio issued a statement to explain its decision to use AI. Localization director Mikołaj Szwed said that the studio considered re-recording the entire performance (including in the base game) with another actor. However, CD Projekt Red decided against it to avoid losing Reczek's voice acting.
The studio instead used voice cloning technology from Kyiv-based startup Respeecher. "We contacted his family for permission to create an algorithm from Miłek's voice that could then be used over the performance of another actor, who would record Viktor Vektor's new voice lines," Szwed shared. He also mentioned that new lines were recorded by Janusz Zadura, "who tried to emulate Miłek's style of speaking."
