Video game performers protest against AI use at Warner Bros. Studios
More than 100 video game performers gathered in front of Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles to air their concerns about the uncontrolled and unregulated use of AI in the industry. These protests followed a recent vote by game voice actors and motion capture workers to protest.
These protests are part of an ongoing negotiation between SAG-AFTRA, which represents performers and major gaming companies like Activision, Disney and Warner Bros. For more than a year and a half now they have been bargaining for new interactive media agreements with protections against non-consensual usage of AI replicating performers’ voices or likenesses.
Performers demand protection against AI misuse
Union officials have raised alarms over the potential misuse of AI technology that could lead to unauthorized replication of performers’ voices and likenesses without their consent or proper compensation. They argue this poses significant threats to voice actors and motion capture artists whose jobs may be diminished because of the ability to create replicas of performers’ voices easily.
A group of producers representing gaming companies has responded by saying they offered reasonable protections against the misuse of AI, including a huge wage increase for SAG-AFTRA-represented performers. According to Cooling Audrey, the spokesperson for producers, advanced technology should be used responsibly, as stated in their terms, ensuring consent and fair remuneration when using digital replicas in games.
Debate intensifies over “Performer” definition
A major point of contention in negotiations has been the definition of a “performer” under collective bargaining agreement. According to Ray Rodriguez, SAG-AFTRA Chief Contracts Officer, as per the contract, not all people rendering movement performances are considered performers. This has raised fears about whether every game production contributor, including those involved in motion capture, will receive similar protections and compensations.
The booming video gaming industry brought in almost $184 billion last year, with estimates reaching up to $207 billion by 2026. These financial figures create an atmosphere of more urgency for the union as it seeks to secure just treatment and payment for the performers.
Cooling Audrey conveyed the producers’ willingness to keep negotiating but also said they wanted to resolve the remaining issues that led them to a strike to bring back SAG-AFTRA represented performers into productions again. However, the union’s insistence on AI comprehensive protections suggests otherwise because it does not seem like both parties are close yet.
