BG3’s Neil Newbon Talks About AI Fears And Meeting His ‘Digital Double’

Highlights

Newbon discusses AI’s impact, highlighting the importance of preserving human artistry in the face of technological advances.
Taking a stand against AI replacement, Newbon emphasizes the need to future-proof performance with human creativity and subtlety.
Newbon advises actors to deepen their craft in the age of advanced technology, embracing the opportunities and challenges it brings.

Neil Newbon saw himself rise to new levels of fame with his sassy yet adorable portrayal of the vampire Astarion in Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3. Although never far from the spotlight, he had already made a name for himself as Elijah Kamski and Gavin Reed in Detroit: Become Human and Karl Heisenberg in Resident Evil Village, and now, there’s no stopping Newbon as he embarks on a brand-new film where he gets to meet his identical digital self in ‘Double’.

As new technology comes to the forefront, Newbon discusses how AI is on a “slippery slope” and how he lends his likeness to PURE4D 2.0, the latest in hyperrealistic facial capture technology for his new movie.

Neil Newbon Took “Big Risks” With His Portrayal Of Astarion In Baldur’s Gate 3

Newbon was worried not everyone understood what he was trying to do with the character.

“It’s A Slippery Slope To Lose The Best Parts Of Our Humanity,” Says Neil Newbon

In a recent interview with Game Rant, Newbon talked about working with facial performance capture studio Dimensional Imagining 4D, specifically getting to use PURE4D 2.0 technology for his new film, Double. Although Newbon couldn’t give too much away just yet, he didn’t say that it is “about the idea of the digital double, of nuance, of subtlety and performance.” The film will also be out this summer, but a release date has not been shared.

When asked what it was like to play and see himself in a performance like this, Newbon stated that he found it quite unnerving since he is quite a private person in real life. “It’s always uncomfortable. I’m not going to lie. I like the fact that Double has this script that’s kind of like a celebration of acting. For me, as an actor, obviously, that’s my passion. I never got used to seeing myself on screen. In film and television, I absolutely detest it. I hate it.”

Talking about the ever-growing trend of AI and its implications, Newbon was asked if realistic capture technology like PURE4D 2.0 was the way forward to help combat its use in game development.

“I really like DI4D’s ethos about performers. Because, like myself, they’re staunchly against replacement with AI. Because ultimately, AI is not there, and it’s not going to be there in the way that people are worried about for a long time. It might be there at some point, and I think what we’re trying to do is future-proof performance.” Newbon continues, “As cool as AI can be in so many things, like talking robots and such, it’s a slippery slope to lose the best parts of our humanity. One of them is art. I think, if it’s being replaced by something beyond human, how can we be convinced that they are not human?”

“It’s okay to have an art form that’s by a robot, but it has to be very tightly highlighted: This is not a human thing. I think that would then rob people of such wonderful experiences: opportunities, jobs, also connections to other humans, which I think is really important.”

Newbon ends the interview with advice to other actors in the industry who will be experiencing the DI4D PURE4D 2.0 technology for the first time. “Keep deepening your craft. Keep developing character. Find the subtleties, break your habits, learn the habits of the character – because now, more than ever, all of this performance can be seen and captured in animation, which is amazing.”