Video game voice actors, represented by SAG-AFTRA, one of the largest actors’ unions in the United States, are on strike. After more than a year of talks with some of the biggest Western publishers including Activision Blizzard, EA and Take Two, talks have stalled over a more contentious point of contention: artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence has proven to be an industry-shaking technological development in dubbing. New artificial intelligence software can be trained on pre-existing performances and use these voiceover jobs to output its own lines. For video game companies, this presents an opportunity to have a quick and easy voiceover solution, but for the actors themselves, it’s an existential threat. Not only are they using their own copyrighted performances as a basis, they are also threatening their jobs.
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As for which studios will be affected, there are the following: Take Two (Grand Theft Auto 6), Activision (Call of Duty: Black Ops 6), Insomniac (Marvel’s Spider-Man 2), Electronic Arts (FIFA), and Formosa Interactive, a three-party dubbing studio. The extent of the impact on each company is unclear, but the fact is that until SAG-AFTRA says otherwise or reaches an agreement, any union advocates working with these businesses will no longer do so.
“We will not agree to a contract that allows companies to misuse artificial intelligence to the detriment of our members,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement to Game File. […] Enough is enough. When these companies get serious about offering a deal that allows our members to live and work, we will be here ready to negotiate.
On the other side is Audrey Cooling, who represents the affected video game companies, who also provided a statement to Game File: “We are dismayed that the union chose to leave when we were so close to reaching an agreement. Disappointed, we remain ready to resume negotiations […] We’ve found common ground on 24 of the 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety regulations. Our proposal directly responds to SAG-AFTRA’s concerns and expands meaningful AI protections, including requiring consent and fair compensation for all performers working under the association [Interactive Media Agreement]. These terms are among the most powerful in the entertainment industry.
Hopefully, these high-profile voice actors can work out a proper deal over the use of artificial intelligence in the coming months.
