A group of agents who specialize in working with minors say major studios that produce animated television series require child actors in their contracts to give up their voices for use by generative AI.
The UK-based Young Performers Agents Association made the allegations in an open letter to the industry published on Monday. According to Deadline, the series in question is peppa pigwhich airs on Nick Jr. in the United States.
“Just recently, a major studio that owns the IP for an international children’s series that produces a long-running animated television series approached children’s voice actors with an agreement requiring them to consent to the use of AI so that they could use children’s voices on all commercial properties within the franchise,” the letter said, and was signed by more than 1,000 representatives and actors. “Our refusal to remove this clause in a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude led us to write this letter to make it clear that this is unacceptable and to bring this issue to wider industry attention.”
Hasbro, which owns the brand, said in a statement that the series in question peppa pig. “Hasbro is aware of an open letter in circulation regarding AI clauses in child performance contracts. We cannot comment on specific negotiations or contractual arrangements,” the company said. “Protecting child performers is at the core of Hasbro and part of our DNA. As industry standards around AI continue to evolve, we are committed to addressing this issue in a responsible and transparent manner.”
AYPA’s position is that the use of AI should be completely excluded from contracts with child actors. “Children are incapable of providing informed legal consent, and parental or guardian approval should never be used as a blanket license to capture, clone, train, or reuse a child’s voice indefinitely,” the letter continued. The group argues that AI’s use of children’s voices could determine their professional futures before they legally consent to such actions or fully understand the potential consequences.
“We, the undersigned, urge you to commit to responsible industry practices,” the letter concludes. “We collectively reject all contracts that require child actors to indefinitely and indefinitely waive their voice rights.”
But AYPA’s board says the issue is bigger than one TV series. In the UK, performers cannot join the actors’ union Equity until they are 10 years old, and parents of child actors are required to sign a contract regarding the use of generative AI. “Our letter addresses the universal issue of companies supporting the use of AI in contracts for minors,” the board said in an email. hollywood reporter.
