Video game actors, represented by the Hollywood union SAG-AFTRA, are striking after negotiations over AI regulation stalled.
Union officials have been in talks with 10 gaming companies over the past year and a half about how to regulate the use of AI-generated “digital replicas” and other synthetic media trained on human performance.
But SAG-AFTRA said Thursday that it had no choice but to declare a strike starting Friday, July 26, because the companies had refused to agree to necessary safeguards and treat all types of performance equally.
“Eighteen months of negotiations have made it clear that our employers are not interested in fair and reasonable AI protections, but rather in egregious exploitation,” said negotiating chair Sarah Elmaleh, a veteran voice actor.
“We reject this framework. We will not leave any of our members behind and we will not wait any longer for adequate protections.”
The strike comes amid a surge in unionization efforts among video game makers, following a wave of mass layoffs over the past two years and concerns about job losses and worsening working conditions due to AI.
On Wednesday, more than 500 employees at Blizzard Entertainment, the Microsoft-owned studio behind the popular “Warcraft” game series, formed a union affiliated with the Communications Workers of America.
on the other hand, Wired We’ve already seen AI cause job losses in the gaming industry by automating concept art and marketing materials.
SAG-AFTRA, which represents about 160,000 actors and other performers across multiple industries, has been at the forefront of this debate, forcing compromises from TV and film studios with a massive 118-day strike last year.
“They want to choose who counts as a performer.”
At issue is the latest version of SAG-AFTRA's interactive media contract, which outlines the terms of union membership for game companies, including full-time game actors and motion capture artists, as well as film and TV actors who also appear in video games.
Companies that voluntarily sign the agreement will not be affected by strikes.
SAG-AFTRA officials say they're not opposed to AI-generated performances. Rather, the union wants companies to ask for informed consent from their members before creating any kind of digital replica, give them a veto over any future use of the replica, and pay performers extra wages every time a replica is used.
Ten companies, including Activision Productions, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts Productions, Epic Games, Insomniac Games and Take 2 Productions, have already agreed to many of SAG-AFTRA's demands, including higher wages.
But union negotiators argue the companies remain unwilling to budge on key points, including whether protections for voice actors should apply to other types of performance, such as motion capture, stunt work and other full-body performances.
“Employers' AI policies put the people who put their bodies on the line the most vulnerable to abuse,” said creature and stunt performer Andy Norris. “Employers are saying they can make a seemingly arbitrary choice about who is a performer and who is 'just data.'”
“Their proposal would be to cut out anything that doesn't look or sound exactly like how I look as I sit here. In reality, on any given week, I'm a zombie, a soldier, or a zombie soldier…”
“We have a right to our own image, and we're prepared to fight and go down, but we're not going to give in.”
The International Alliance of Performing Arts Employees (IATSE), another union gaining ground among video game developers, also expressed solidarity with the strike.
Meanwhile, the 10 companies disagreed with SAG-AFTRA's interpretation of the dispute.
“We are disappointed that the union chose to walk away when we were so close to an agreement. We stand ready to resume negotiations,” spokeswoman Audrey Cooling said in a statement Thursday.
“We've already found agreement on 24 of the 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety measures.”
“Our proposal directly responds to SAG-AFTRA's concerns and would expand meaningful AI protections, including requiring consent and fair compensation for all performers working under the IMA. These terms are among the strongest in the entertainment industry.”
This story was updated at 8:33pm PST on Thursday, July 25, 2024 to include new details from the SAG-AFTRA press conference.
