Videogame Voice Actors in SAG-AFTRA Go On Strike Over AI Concerns

By Elijah Gonzalez | July 26, 2024 | 11:25am

Video Games News SAG-AFTRA

Videogame Voice Actors in SAG-AFTRA Go On Strike Over AI Concerns

As of midnight earlier today, videogame voice actors in the SAG-AFTRA labor union went on strike. The announcement came after almost two years of negotiations between the union and several of the biggest videogame companies, such as Activision, Electronic Arts, Take 2 Productions, WB Games, Disney, and more. The main sticking point in the agreement is over generative AI, specifically how companies can use the actors’ likenesses and voices to create machine-generated performances. Last year, SAG-AFTRA members voted with a 98.32% yes vote to strike over the videogame industry negotiations, if needed.

In their statement announcing the strike, SAG-AFTRA wrote: “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 AI language.”

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Several key members of the union added additional context to the statement, including Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator for SAG-AFTRA: “The video game industry generates billions of dollars in profit annually. The driving force behind that success is the creative people who design and create those games. That includes the SAG-AFTRA members who bring memorable and beloved game characters to life, and they deserve and demand the same fundamental protections as performers in film, television, streaming, and music: fair compensation and the right of informed consent for the A.I. use of their faces, voices, and bodies. Frankly, it’s stunning that these video game studios haven’t learned anything from the lessons of last year – that 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.”

As for how the strike will work, companies can work with striking actors provided they agree to the tiered agreement for games with budgets between 250K and 30 million. In the case of more expensive AAA games, companies must sign an interim agreement that grants protections against AI.

Last year, SAG-AFTRA and WGA took part in a multi-month strike that resulted in a deal with Hollywood and TV studios. Stipulations over AI protections for workers in TV and film were one of many points agreed upon. The last videogame voice actors strike, which was primarily over pay and residuals, took place from 2016-2017 and lasted for 11 months.

Considering the videogame industry’s overlap with the tech sector, concerns around AI have been particularly pronounced. Earlier this year, Ubisoft showed off ghoulish generative AI-powered NPCs, which, ironically enough, were presented in a tech demo centered around fighting against evil mega-corporations. As the AI investing craze continues, many videogame companies are eager to jump on the trend or at least signal as much to shareholders. This push from game companies is likely part of why SAG-AFTRA is insistent on nailing down a deal before things escalate further.