SAG-AFTRA reaches a deal with video game companies ending video game strike: NPR

SAG-AFTRA Union performers have halted almost a year's strike against a major video game company that temporarily halted much of the work spent on game production. Both sides have issued tentative agreements that include a “guard rail” for the use of artificial intelligence.

“Everyone at SAG-AFTRA is extremely grateful for the sacrifices made by video game performers and the dedication of the Interactive Media Agreement Negotiation Committee through the last few months of video game strikes,” Duncan Crabtree Ireland, national executive director and chief negotiator of SAG-AFTRA, said in a statement. “Patience and tenacity, along with other important benefits, has led to a deal that introduces the necessary AI guardrails to protect the livelihoods of performers in the AI ​​era.”

Union narration and body movement performers have been in conflict since July last year with companies such as Activision Productions, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts Productions and WB Games.

“We are pleased to have reached an interim contract agreement that reflects the important contributions of SAG-AFTRA representative performers in video games,” Audrey Cooling, spokesman for video game producers involved in the contract, wrote in a statement.

“The agreement is based on a 30-year, successful partnership between the interactive entertainment industry and unions. It will deliver increased historic wages for performers, increased health and safety protections, and industry-leading AI that require transparency, consent and compensation for the use of digital replicas in games,” she said. “We look forward to continuing to work with performers for billions of players around the world.”

One of the obsession points of negotiation went beyond the use of artificial intelligence in video game productions. Some performers are worried that their work can be replaced by AI.

“It's really frightening to think of how far our data is going and the violation of consent that could have already happened because our performers had signed contracts they didn't fully understand,” performer Omar Zaki told Pickett Line in October.

Zaki played in video games 2 weeks, Mortal Kombat I, Callisto protocol. He said he was worried that the computer data collected from his performance could be used “forever” without his permission.

He said he went on a strike to draw a really clear line when it wasn't okay to use our data.

On the same Picket line, narrators Scott Lambright and Kyle McCurley said they were worried about the possibility that AI could also be used to trade jobs.

“We want to know how it is being used and we want to be properly compensated,” Rambright said. Our final part i and ii, Fallout 76 and Ghostbusters: Spirit unleashed. “It may make sense to use this technology, and it may never match the performance of a human actor that you can give subtle expression.”

McCurley was also worried that he could misrepresent narrator performers using AI.

“What scares me is the outlook that everyone has the ability to put the necessary words in their mouths,” he said.

“It scares me so much,” agreed Rambright. “There are all these things I never say, I support political candidates I don't want to support, or say, 'I hate unions' or racist. I don't want that.

Details of the interim agreement were not released immediately, but the transaction is first sent to the union's board of directors before it is ratified by the union members.

During the strike, over 120 video games from 49 companies have signed “interim agreements” with the union, pledging to give members the ability to agree to additional compensation and the use of AI.

Voice actor Sarah Hermale, who chairs the coalition's negotiation committee, told NPR that he was pleased with the cooperation of these companies.

“Many employers were happy to try and provide these protections to our performers,” she said, “they can work in the game with peace of mind.”

Elmale said some video game companies that didn't sign the contract during the strike tried to lure performers with misleading auditions.

“We've seen casting notifications actually come out under commercial contracts for the game. We've seen all sorts of evasive operations,” said Hermale, who called the tactic “Shady.”

Despite some tentative agreements, some performers are worried that this year's disruption to the video game industry will be a “badge” and will have ripple effects for months as video game productions back up.

It's part of a larger wave of work behavior in Hollywood. In 2023, the Sag-Aftra performer went on strike for several months before signing a contract with Major Hollywood Studios. Their agreement now has AI protection.

Other entertainment industry workers have now I secured a similar contract. During negotiations for a new contract with Hollywood Studios in October, the Animation Guild signed a contract with members at a studio in Texas. A small group of video game studio motion capture staff also voted for a union with IATSE, an international alliance of theatre staff. The 21 full-time staff at 2K Motion Capture include animators, audio specialists, stage technicians and engineers working on games including NBA 2K, Topspin 2K and more.

Lambright said even with SAG-AFTRA's new deal, video game performers should be careful to ensure the new provisions come into effect. He said he wanted federal law to ensure that AI is not used in ways workers have not agreed to.

“It's going to be something that's really trying to help us,” he said.

Editor's note: Many NPR employees are members of SAG-AFTRA, but they have signed separate contracts and were not on strike.