A gross Batman Arkham Origins mod claiming to be a “tribute” to deceased actor Kevin Conroy has used AI to bring the performer’s iconic voice into the game.
When the Warner Bros Montreal prequel released in 2012, Conroy’s voice was not used for the title role of Batman. Instead, the game made use of the vocal talents of Roger Craig Smith who last voiced the character in the recent Batman Arkham Shadow VR game.
The mod, created by TeamEW, uses AI voices to swap Roger Craig Smith’s voice with a generated facsimile of Kevin Conroy. Titled “Kevin Conroy AI Voice For Batman”, the mod is described as a “tribute made by fans, crafted with admiration and affection for Kevin Conroy”.
“Roger Craig Smith provided a strong and heartfelt portrayal of Batman in Origins, yet for numerous fans, Kevin Conroy remains the true Batman. His portrayal shaped the character for more than thirty years and impacted countless lives,” the modders wrote on Nexus Mods. “This initiative serves as a tribute to Kevin Conroy’s legacy – celebrating his contributions, his voice, and his effect on audiences globally.”
As expected, the release of the mod has infuriated fans of the Batman Arkham series and the actor. Conroy, who passed after a battle with cancer at the age of 66, first voiced the Caped Crusader in the 1992 Batman: The Animated Series, and last played the character in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three in 2024.
While the actor’s iconic voice is surely missed, fans have criticised the gross game modification for using AI generation to steal the actor’s performance. Additionally, with the AI “performance” based on existing clips, it isn’t indicative of what the actor would’ve done with Batman Arkham Origins’ material.
“You’re taking someone else’s existance [sic] and moulding it to your entertainment without their consent, which is sickening and grotesque,” one fan said on the mod’s Nexus Mods page.
“Using AI to duplicate his voice without his or his family’s consent is beyond despicable, made even worse from the fact that he’s no longer with us,” said another. “This is not ‘honouring his legacy’, this is actively going in spite of his memory by forcing a sh**ty duplication of his voice over another actor’s amazing performance. The passion he had for this character cannot be replicated by a computer.
“If you have any sort of dignity, you should take this mod down immediately. Then again, seeing as it’s still up, it’s clear that you don’t. Anyone else viewing this mod, I highly recommend reporting it.”
AI recreations of actor performances have been criticised even with the permission of the deceased’s families as permission from family isn’t the same as permission from the performer. One notable example is the recently-released Alien Romulus which used AI voice technology and deepfake technology–on top of a real-life puppet–to revive Ian Holm.
Additionally, voice actors working today are fighting against the rise of AI voices in film, TV and video games. Amelia Tyler, the narrator for Larian Studios’ beloved Baldur’s Gate 3, criticised the rise of AI voices, both in professional works and by so-called fans online, saying the tech “is stealing not just my job but my identity”.
Wes Johnson, a performer beloved for his roles in Bethesda’s swathe of RPGs over the years, said in the same interview: “anyone trying to create a mod using an actor’s voice via AI *without consent* knows they are wrong.”
The use of AI voices for video game mods is often criticised, although usually these mods aren’t attempting to revive a deceased actor for their projects. While Nexus Mods will only remove an AI generated mod if it receives complaints from affected parties, users of the site have pushed back against the technology as it is “unethical”.
