Hollywood Video Game Performers Strike Over AI Fears

Tens of thousands of Hollywood video game performers have begun a strike over artificial intelligence (AI) protections, following a vote by union members last Thursday.

The strike follows similar actions by Hollywood screen actors and writers which last year brought California’s entertainment industry to a halt for 118 days, the longest in the 90-year history of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (Sag-Aftra) union.

In both cases performers were concerned that generative AI could be used to create synthetic visual and voice content that would put them out of work.

The current Sag-Aftra action involves more than 160,000 video game performers including voice actors and motion-capture performers who work for game producers including Activision, Disney and EA.

‘Fair compensation’

The performers authorised the strike with a 98.32 percent “yes” vote, saying they want companies to inform the union when they plan to use generative AI in ways that would replace the work of actors, and to negotiate compensation if they plan to generate material based on an actor’s voice or likeness.

The actors are seeking “fair compensation and the right of informed consent for the AI use of their faces, voices, and bodies”, said Sag-Aftra national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.

“Although agreements have been reached on many issues important to SAG-AFTRA members, the employers refuse to plainly affirm, in clear and enforceable language, that they will protect all performers covered by this contract in their AI language,” the union said in a statement.

“We refuse this paradigm – we will not leave any of our members behind, nor will we wait for sufficient protection any longer,” said actor and union negotiator Sarah Elmaleh.

AI protections

The 10 game makers who have been negotiating with the union for the past 18 months said they have already offered “meaningful AI protections that include requiring consent and fair compensation” with terms that are “among the strongest in the entertainment industry”.

“We are disappointed the union has chosen to walk away when we are so close to a deal, and we remain prepared to resume negotiations,” said a spokesperson for the companies.

The union’s Interactive Media Agreement with game makers expired in November 2022 and has been renewed on a monthly basis since then while the parties negotiated a new deal.

Last year’s strikes by Hollywood writers and Sag-Aftra television and film actors cost California’s economy more than $6.5 billion (£5bn), according to industry publication Deadline.