Actors Strike Over Threat of AI in Video Games

Major video game companies like Activision, Warner Bros and Walt Disney. They face the possibility of going on strike. On behalf of the actors, due to the use of artificial intelligence in the industry.

It took a year and a half of negotiations to sign a new collective agreement between the companies and a union representing more than 2,500 actors involved in video game production.

The two sides announced that they had reached agreement on a number of important criteria, such as wage levels and workplace safety, but safeguards against the use of artificial intelligence remain a major hurdle.

Sag-Aftra, the union that paralyzed Hollywood last year, has proposed a strike, with television and film actors going on strike.

Actors are concerned that many studios could use AI to recreate their voices and physical appearances for use in character animations in video games, without paying them fair compensation.

“Although we have reached agreement on many issues, […] “Employers refuse to explicitly state, in clear and enforceable terms, that they will protect all artists covered by the contract in their AI reports,” Sag-Aftra said in a statement.

“We will not agree to sign a contract that allows companies to misuse AI at the expense of our members,” the statement concluded.

For their part, the studios point out that they have already made several concessions to the union’s demands.

“We regret that the union has chosen to withdraw from the talks at a time when we are close to reaching an agreement,” said Audrey Collinge, a spokeswoman for the 10 video game makers negotiating with Sag-Aftra.

“Our proposal directly addresses Sag-Aftra’s concerns and provides substantive protections against AI, including ensuring consent and reasonable compensation for all artists employed[under the Interactive Media Agreement],” he added.

The Interactive Media Agreement covers those artists who provide their voices and also appear on screen as characters in video games.

The last such agreement, which did not include provisions on the use of AI, was due to expire in November 2022, but has since been renewed on a monthly basis as negotiations continue.

Last year, US TV and film actors won $1 billion in new wages and benefits, as well as protections against the use of artificial intelligence, after a strike organized by the Sage AFTRA organization.

The strike, which lasted 118 days, was the longest in the union’s 90-year history.

Along with a separate writers’ strike, the strike has caused significant disruption to film and television production and cost the California economy more than $6.5 billion, according to figures from Deadline, which analyzes events in that particular industry.