SAG-AFTRA members who work in the video game industry voted to strike over concerns about AI after more than a year and a half of fruitless negotiations over the Interactive Media Agreement, a contract that many major game companies must adhere to when creating big-budget games. The strike will take effect at 12:01 a.m. PST on July 26.
“Games considering hiring SAG-AFTRA talent to perform covered work will be required to sign the new Tiered Budget Independent Interactive Media Agreement, the Interim Interactive Media Agreement or the Interim Interactive Localization Agreement,” the press release announcing the strike stated. “These agreements provide important AI protections for our members.”
Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto VI will not be affected by the strike, nor will its live service titles or games that were already in production as of September 2023.
SAG-AFTRA has struggled for months to reach an agreement on the use of AI in game development, specifically replacing human voice actors and motion capture performers. In January, SAG-AFTRA signed a controversial deal with AI voice software company Replica Studios that essentially approved AI voice acting in video games, but was criticized by voice actors, many of whom claimed they were never consulted about the deal.
The Convenient Bargaining Group with which SAG-AFTRA is currently negotiating includes the following game studios:
- Activision Productions Inc.
- Blind Light LLC
- Disney Character Voice Co., Ltd.
- Electronic Arts Productions Inc.
- Formosa Interactive LLC
- Insomniac Games Inc.
- Llama Productions LLC
- Take 2 Productions Inc.
- Voiceworks Productions Inc.
- WB Games Inc.
It's not immediately clear which games will be affected by the strike, but games still in early development are more likely to experience delays than those closer to release. It's not clear how long the strike itself will last.
EA has already spoken out in support of the use of AI in games, Ubisoft is experimenting with AI NPCs that can “converse realistically,” and the developers of The Finals have also defended the use of AI voices. Others in the games industry have taken positions against AI, with Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney saying that “game companies should not receive AI voice training generation rights from dialogue recording sessions,” and Valve requiring developers to disclose the use of AI in all games they list on Steam.
“Eighteen months of negotiations have shown us that our employers are not interested in fair and reasonable AI protections, but rather in egregious exploitation,” Salah Elmaleh, chair of the Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee, said of the strike. “We reject this paradigm. We will not leave our members behind, nor will we wait any longer for adequate protections. We look forward to working with our teams on interim and independent contracts that provide AI transparency, consent, and compensation for all performers, and to continuing to negotiate in good faith when this negotiating group is ready to join the world we all want.”
SAG-AFTRA members working in the film and television industry are on strike in 2023, and the use of AI has become one of the biggest sticking points in negotiations.
“We will not agree to contracts that allow companies to misuse AI to harm our members,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher added. “Enough is enough. When these companies come serious about offering a contract that allows our members to live and work, we are ready to negotiate.”
Game studios have already responded to the strike, expressing disappointment in SAG-AFTRA's decision.
“We are disappointed that the union chose to withdraw when we were so close to an agreement, but we stand ready to resume negotiations,” said Audrey Cooling, spokesperson for the video game producers group IMA. “We have already found common ground on 24 of our 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety provisions. Our proposals directly respond to SAG-AFTRA's concerns and meaningfully expand AI protections, including requiring consent and fair compensation for all performers working under IMA. These terms are among the strongest in the entertainment industry.”
