Open-world ecosatire Future? No Thanks! has been updated to remove AI-generated voices from its robot characters, with developer Molleindustria also offering refunds to any players who feel "betrayed" by the game's earlier use of the technology. The decision comes after lead developer Paolo "Molleindustria" Pedercini belatedly disclosed his use of AI voice generation earlier this week.
The update specifically removes text-to-speech voicework for an automated toilet and an automated translator found in a hair salon. Pedercini had previously stated in a blog post that he used generative AI for these characters as a satirical commentary on the technology. However, following a negative reaction on social media and subsequent press coverage, he opted to remove the AI-generated voices.
"The voices were recorded earlier this year but I decided to not use them because I thought the actual uncanny text-to-speech was funnier in that context," Pedercini wrote in a new blog post. "Alas, the new generation of text-to-speech counts as user-facing AI-generated content and that keeps creating all sorts of annoyances and bad optics."
Pedercini maintains that the text-to-speech voices were a fitting addition to Future? No Thanks!, stating, "In my opinion the game is worse now, but only, like, 0.001% worse." The update also includes adjustments to in-game gigs to provide players with more money, which may help prevent soft-locks and allow players to complete all quests.
In a personal update, Pedercini expressed frustration with the backlash, recounting being "dragged" on social media platform Bluesky after disclosing the AI usage. He noted that while Steam does not require disclosure of AI tools like coding assistants, he chose to be transparent. Pedercini had previously updated Steam's rules to allow "efficiency" tools such as coding assistants. He suspects many developers are using generative AI for coding without disclosure, as Valve's policy has been described as more of a "gesture" than a true accountability mechanism.
Pedercini also addressed a now-deleted paragraph from his original blog post that he felt sounded like an attempt to exculpate himself by criticizing colleagues who advocate for an AI-free development process. He conceded, "Look, it was not a good post. Defeatist, hastily written. I thought nobody would read it. Anyway, slow news day, everybody fucking hates AI, the whole scene piled on."
He went on to criticize the intensity of the backlash, comparing it to harassment campaigns. Pedercini concluded by sharing a list of developers who have pledged to avoid generative AI, encouraging players to support them. He also suggested that players should assume studios that haven't publicly opposed all generative AI are likely using it for coding purposes. Looking ahead, his next game will be "completely hand-coded."