A number of huge game studios are set to be affected by voice actors going on strike over the use of AI.
Voice actors represented by SAG-AFTRA, one of the largest trade unions in the United States, confirmed they were set to strike over concerns about generative AI. It comes after 21 months of negotiations between some of the biggest publishers and studios in the world failed to come to a deal.
Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two, Activision, Insomniac and EA will all be impacted by the walk-outs, which started at midnight last night (July 25). Voice acting studio Formosa Interactive, which has provided talent for The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and Death Stranding, will also be hit by the strikes.
“We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse AI to the detriment of our members,” SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher said in a statement (via Game File). “Enough is enough. When these companies get serious about offering an agreement our members can live—and work—with, we will be here, ready to negotiate.”
“We are disappointed the union has chosen to walk away when we are so close to a deal, and we remain prepared to resume negotiations,” a rep for the game production companies said. However, SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said the studios aren’t providing voice actors “fair compensation and the right of informed consent for the AI use of their faces, voices, and bodies.”
BREAKING: SAG-AFTRA video game voice/performance actors are going on strike at midnight tonight. Basically over AI
"We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse A.I. to the detriment of our members. Enough is enough." – AG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher pic.twitter.com/MiiATQiHtq
— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) July 25, 2024
Earlier this year, a SAG-AFTRA deal with AI voice acting company Replica Studios was met with wide-spread backlash from a number of voice actors.
Speaking to NME, Baldur’s Gate 3 actor Samantha Béart admitted they were “worried” about the future of voice acting. “Automation has replaced so many things already, and I’m not surprised it’s coming for art. If enough people don’t mind AI, or if it’s allowed to creep in, we’re in trouble.”
“We’re a community, and we’re here for each other in a way that other parts of the entertainment industry aren’t,” they added, believing unions have the power to combat the threat of AI. “That’s why I’m not too worried personally – because we’ve all got each other.”
“We need to figure out how to work alongside it, as opposed to it completely taking over,” added Final Fantasy 16’s Ben Starr. “The unknown is terrifying – and in the wrong hands, AI has the capacity to take away jobs.”
Last year, the Screen Actors Guild union went on strike after negotiations broke down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) over streaming residuals and safeguards against AI technology.
In other news, Overwatch 2 is looking to fix one of the sequel’s most controversial changes following backlash from fans with game director Aaron Keller opening up the conversation about the return of 6v6 combat.
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