Video Game Performers Are Going on Strike Over AI

July 26, 2024:

Actors in the video game industry are going on strike. On Thursday, the union representing voice and motion-capture performers announced they would be walking off the job after talks with major video game companies broke down over concerns over AI protections. The work stoppage is set to begin Friday.

“We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse AI to the detriment of our members,” Fran Drescher, the president of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), which represents the performers, said in a prepared statement. “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.”

Several members of SAG-AFTRA are currently at Comic-Con International in San Diego for panels and other appearances. They will still be able to honor their obligations this weekend “given the close proximity” of the strike announcement to the event, which runs through Sunday. “Solidarity,” Dragon Age: The Veilguard voice actor Erika Ishii posted on X. “We’ll be fulfilling contracts at SDCC but afterwards we hold the line.” Last year’s Hollywood strikes greatly reduced the number of performers able to participate in Comic-Con events.

Tensions over AI between SAG members and major video game companies have been high for months. Negotiations between the two sides began in earnest in October 2022. Members voted to authorize a strike in September of 2023. “Eighteen months of negotiations have shown us that our employers are not interested in fair, reasonable AI protections, but rather flagrant exploitation,” Sarah Elmaleh, SAG’s negotiating chair for the Interactive Media Agreement (IMA) that covers video game workers, said in a statement. “We refuse this paradigm—we will not leave any of our members behind, nor will we wait for sufficient protection any longer.”

In the video game industry, actors regularly lend their voice, likeness, and even movements to projects. Voice acting and motion-capture are a crucial part of game development, even as AI begins to change the way developers create their games. Despite success on other points, video game companies and SAG have been unable to find common ground on AI.

“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,” Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the video game companies involved in the negotiations said in a statement to WIRED. That group includes companies such as Activision, Disney, Electronic Arts, Insomniac Games, Take-Two, and Warner Bros. , among others.

“We have already found common ground on 24 out of 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety provisions,” Cooling said. “Our offer is directly responsive to SAG-AFTRA’s concerns and extends meaningful AI protections that include requiring consent and fair compensation to all performers working under the IMA. These terms are among the strongest in the entertainment industry.”

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