Hollywood Video Game Performers Set to Strike, Demand AI Protection

In a bold move reminiscent of last year’s Hollywood strikes, video game actors have voted to go on strike beginning Friday, citing the absence of adequate protections against artificial intelligence (AI) in a proposed new contract. The action signals a significant stand by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) against the unchecked use of AI technology in the industry. While recent agreements have resolved some issues, the gap in AI safeguards remains a key barrier to consensus.

The last year saw the integration of AI protections become a pivotal element in labor negotiations across the entertainment sector. Following high-stakes discussions last fall, actors and writers were able to secure terms with major studios, addressing the use of generative AI. However, negotiations between video game performers and top developers, represented by companies like Activision, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts, Insomniac Games, Take 2 Productions, and WB Games, have been deadlocked for over 18 months. The proposed terms have left many SAG-AFTRA members concerned that digital replicas of their voices and likenesses could be used without proper consent or compensation.

“Although agreements have been reached on many issues important to SAG-AFTRA members, the employers refuse to plainly affirm, in clear and enforceable language, that they will protect all performers covered by this contract in their A.I. language,” SAG-AFTRA stated in a press release. Without these assurances, union leaders argue that performers face a precarious future as AI technology continues to evolve rapidly.

The union, which represents around 160,000 actors across various media, is pushing for measures that would ensure any use of AI in the replication of performers’ voices or likenesses requires express consent and fair compensation. These terms, they contend, are necessary to protect the integrity of performers’ work and careers in an era where AI tools can recreate voice and motion in increasingly realistic ways.

In response, a spokesperson for the video game producers expressed disappointment over the decision to strike, stating, “We are so close to a deal, and we remain prepared to resume negotiations. Our offer is directly responsive to SAG-AFTRA’s concerns and extends meaningful AI protections, including requiring consent and fair compensation to all performers.” The spokesperson added that they had achieved common ground on 24 out of 25 contract proposals, including wage increases and safety measures, and claimed these AI protections to be some of the strongest in the entertainment industry.

However, SAG-AFTRA representatives maintain that these provisions fall short of the necessary protections. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s National Executive Director and chief negotiator, emphasized that video game companies have not applied lessons from last year’s strikes, stating, “It’s stunning that these video game studios haven’t learned anything … our members can and will stand up and demand fair and equitable treatment with respect to A.I., and the public supports us in that.”

For voice actors like Zeke Alton, who is on the union’s negotiating team, the crux of the issue lies in the lack of protection for digital replicas. Alton explains that studios are increasingly able to create scenes by manipulating a performer’s likeness or voice beyond the original performance, a practice which the current contract leaves vulnerable to exploitation. “The Interactive Media Agreement in its current form is dangerously incomplete and leaves loopholes for performers to be exploited,” Alton stated, calling for clearer regulations to safeguard the longevity and authenticity of performers’ careers in video games.

Despite the breakdown in negotiations, union leaders have chosen not to disrupt fan events like San Diego Comic-Con, which began Thursday. Many performers, known for both voice work and motion capture, continue to engage with fans and the industry there while awaiting a resolution to the ongoing contract impasse.

The rise of generative AI has fostered a burgeoning trend in online spaces where users manipulate the voices and likenesses of video game characters. This phenomenon has drawn mixed reactions from the public, with some fans celebrating the technology's creativity, while others, including prominent actors like Roger Clark, known for his role as Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2, have voiced concerns over the unauthorized replication of their voices.

Earlier this year, SAG-AFTRA secured an agreement with Replica Studios, an AI voice company, to establish clear licensing protections. While this was a significant step, the current contract proposal falls short of providing the comprehensive safeguards that performers say they need.

Ray Rodriguez, SAG-AFTRA’s chief contracts officer, underscored the union’s hope for an amicable resolution, stating that the decision to strike was a “last resort.” But for now, the message from video game performers is clear: AI may shape the future of gaming, but it must respect the voices and likenesses of those who bring its characters to life.

Source:NBC News