The union is seeking similar conditions to those that ended the SAG-Aftra action.
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The video games industry is facing major disruption after actors, led by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Entertainers (SAG-Aftra), staged a walkout over concerns about the use of AI technology.
According to SAG-Aftra, major video game makers, including Activision, Warner Bros. and Walt Disney, have refused to give artists clear protections over the use of generative AI, a technology that allows companies to recreate actors' voices and appearances without fair compensation.
The strike was called after months of negotiations between Thug-Aftra and video game makers failed to reach an agreement on key issues like wages and workplace safety. The union is concerned that the use of AI technology will lead to unfair treatment of performers and allow companies to exploit their work without giving them fair compensation.
But video game studios oppose the strike, arguing they've already made sufficient concessions to the union's demands. Audrey Couling, a spokeswoman for the 10 video game studios negotiating with Thug-Aftra, said, “We're disappointed that the union chose to walk away when they were so close to an agreement. Our proposal directly responds to Thug-Aftra's concerns and provides meaningful AI protections, including mandatory consent and fair compensation for all performers working under the Interactive Media Accord.”
The strike follows a historic victory last year in which US TV and film actors won $1 billion in new pay, benefits and guarantees on the use of AI. The 118-day strike was the longest in the union's 90-year history and caused severe disruption to film and TV production.
The impact of the strike is expected to be huge — a separate writers' strike last year was estimated to have cost California's economy alone more than $6.5 billion — and the future of the video game industry is hanging in the balance as negotiations continue.
