AI-powered Darth Vader shocks fans with unexpected profanity

Artificial intelligence voice technology faces a new embarrassing mishap as Darth Vader’s character in Fortnite temporarily spewed profanity and inappropriate language. The incident highlights ongoing challenges with AI voice implementations in mainstream entertainment, exposing the risks of deploying synthetic voice technology based on iconic performers in interactive environments where user input can trigger unexpected responses.

The incident: Epic Games’ Fortnite featured an AI-powered Darth Vader that briefly responded to players with profanity and inappropriate language.

• A viral exchange occurred when Twitch streamer Loserfruit triggered the character to repeat expletives, with Vader responding, “Such vulgarity does not become you, Padme.”
• According to GameSpot, some players also reported hearing the AI character deliver inappropriate break-up advice and making disparaging comments about Spanish speakers.

The technology: The Darth Vader voice in Fortnite uses AI technology from Ukrainian startup Respeecher based on James Earl Jones’ original performance.

• Jones, who died in 2024, had granted his voice rights for future Star Wars productions before his passing.
• Respeecher specializes in creating new conversations from revitalized old voice recordings.

The response: Epic Games acknowledged the profanity issue and immediately deployed a solution to prevent further incidents.

• The company stated on X: “We pushed a hotfix immediately and this shouldn’t happen again.”
• According to Variety, Jones’ family supported the Fortnite collaboration, stating: “James Earl felt that the voice of Darth Vader was inseparable from the story of Star Wars, and he always wanted fans of all ages to continue to experience it.”

Why it matters: This incident demonstrates the unpredictable nature of AI voice systems when implemented in interactive environments with user-generated prompts.

• Interactive AI characters in popular games played by millions, including children, create significant brand risk when safeguards fail.
• As posthumous AI voice recreations become more common in entertainment, this highlights the importance of robust content moderation and testing.