Hollywood Video Game Performers Strike Over AI 'Abuse

In Brief:

Hollywood video game performers, including voice actors and motion capture artists, will strike on July 26 due to concerns over AI protections and "abuse."

The strike follows an 18-month failed negotiation with major video game publishers like Activision and Electronic Arts.

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SAG-AFTRA Announces Strike

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Hollywood video game performers, including voice actors and motion capture artists, are set to go on strike at the end of this week on July 26. The Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) confirmed the strike, citing concerns over AI protections and "abuse" in the gaming industry.

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This action follows more than 18 months of unsuccessful negotiations with a group representing several major video game publishers.

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The firms involved in the negotiations include Activision Productions, Disney Character Voices, Formosa Interactive, Electronic Arts Productions, and Insomniac Games.

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SAG-AFTRA demands these companies sign contracts offering "critical" AI protections for its members. However, the employers have refused to affirm, in clear and enforceable language, that they will protect all performers covered by the contract in their AI language.

Video Game Companies Respond

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A spokesperson for the video game companies expressed disappointment with the decision to strike. According to an NBC News report, the companies claim they have already found "common ground" on 24 of 25 proposals, including wage increases and additional safety provisions.

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Despite this, the refusal to exclude AI-generated versions of performers remains a sticking point.

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SAG-AFTRA members in film and television went on a similar strike in June 2023, partly due to entertainment firms' refusal to exclude the use of AI-generated faces and voices of SAG-AFTRA members in their work.

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SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher emphasized, "We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse AI to the detriment of our members. Enough is enough."

Demand for Fair Compensation and AI Protections

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SAG-AFTRA’s National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, highlighted that these actors are the "driving force" behind the success of the video game industry, which generates billions of dollars in profit annually.

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He stated, "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 AI use of their faces, voices, and bodies."

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IMANC’s Chair Sarah Elmaleh accused the entertainment companies of attempting "flagrant exploitation" by not compromising on the AI clauses. In response to these ongoing issues, California lawmaker Ash Kalra introduced a bill to protect actors, artists, and entertainers from AI exploitation by mandating employment contracts to include informed consent for digital replicates.

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An amended version of the bill passed in the California Senate on July 2 but has not yet become law.