By: Zachary Abbott
With the growth of AI in nearly every industry, workers have begun taking up arms to protect their jobs from the encroachment of AI replacements. In 2023, the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writers of Guild of America (WGA) both went on strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMTP) after strikes that were some of the longest held in the film and TV industry, SAG-AFTRA and the WGA were able to obtain protections for their members against use of AI without consent or compensation.
This dispute has arisen between video game developers and the actors who provide the voices and images for their video game characters. Effective July 26th, Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) members who perform in video games have gone on strike against video game companies signed onto the Interactive Media Agreement. After a year and a half of negotiations over the Interactive Media Agreement, the video game companies still refuse to affirm outright that video game voice actors will be granted rights over how their voice, image, and work are used in training AI or creating AI-generated copies.
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These negotiations began in October 2022, and while agreement has been reached on most other important points, AI protections have split the two sides. SAG-AFTRA asks that any game looking to employ SAG-AFTRA talent be signed onto the new Tiered-Budget Independent Interactive Media Agreement and the Interim Interactive Media Agreement or the Interim Interactive Localization Agreement. These agreements aim to give SAG-AFTRA members the right of consent to use their faces, voices, and bodies by AI, which are rights that performers in film and TV already have. Without these protections, video game companies could use AI to replicate performers without compensation or consent and would put them out of work. These Agreements force video game companies to be upfront about their intentions and obtain the consent of actors they seek to replicate through AI.
The strike was authorized on September 24th, 2023, with a 98.32% yes vote. Similar strikes in the industry have benefitted entertainers and creatives, so SAG-AFTRA feels confident that it can ultimately achieve the same results. That said, the strike will be an uphill battle, with SAG-AFTRA members striking against the video game industry titans, including divisions of Activision, EA, Insomniac, Warner Brothers, and Disney.