The new addition to Paradox Interactive’s space grand strategy game Stellaris, Stellaris: The Machine Age, uses AI to generate character voices. But the game developers believe that it is ethical, writes PC Gamer.

Galactic AI civilizations are the topic of the new addition to Stellaris, which was released in 2016. Stellaris: The Machine Age contains new features of machine civilizations, new crises, characters, ships, buildings, etc. Everything is united by the theme of technological singularity and real AI.

At the end of the add-on page, there is a note that Steam recommends adding if the game has AI content: “We employ generative AI technologies during the creation of some assets. Typically this involves the ideation of content and visual reference material. These elements represent a minor component of the overall development. AI has been used to generate voices for an AI antagonist and a player advisor.”

Not all players liked the use of AI, but the developers believe that it is appropriate.

Development manager Stephen “Eladrin” Muray commented on this: “The AI voice generation tools we use on Stellaris ensure that the voice actors that signed up and built the models receive royalties for every line we create. Ethical use of AI technology is very important to us—we’re pretty good at exploring dystopian sci-fi and don’t want to end up there ourselves.”

Muray promises that in a few weeks, the developers will publish more information about the use of AI in the creation of the add-on. However, he says that the studio didn’t use it for concept art in The Machine Age” because there are “a couple of awesome concept artists on staff for that.” AI images were used only for research purposes when studying mood, creating storyboards, etc. The developer adds that Paradox has “strict guidelines” on using “AI tools legally and ethically” that it adheres to.

In fact, it is very telling that AI tools were used to create an add-on dedicated to AI. I mean, if not here, where else?

The Stellaris: The Machine Age was released on May 7, 2024. This is the 9th major gameplay DLC for the game in 8 years, and Stellaris has also had numerous cosmetic and storyline add-ons.