Hollywood Faces Strike Over AI Concerns

Video game voice actors and motion capture specialists in Hollywood have declared a strike following unsuccessful negotiations regarding workers’ rights in the face of AI usage. The strike is set to begin on July 26.

Effective July 26 at 12:01 a.m. Today’s vote to strike comes after more than a year and a half of negotiations without a deal.#VideoGameStrike #LevelUpTheContract #SagAftraStrong https://t.co/8InNdB05k8

— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) July 25, 2024

The decision was made by the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) after months of negotiations with major video game developers such as Activision Productions, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Take-Two Interactive, Disney Character Voices, and Warner Bros Discovery.

“Despite reaching agreements on many important issues for SAG-AFTRA members, employers refuse to clearly confirm that they will protect all performers covered by this contract in their language on AI,” the notice stated.

The union seeks for game developers to sign contracts offering protection against the risks associated with the widespread use of artificial intelligence.

“We are disappointed that the union chose to walk away when we were so close to an agreement. Common ground was found on 24 out of 25 proposals, including wage increases and additional safety provisions,” a representative of the video game creators noted in an email to NBC News.

Media outlets have highlighted that union leaders previously expressed concerns about the unchecked use of neural networks. They argue that this could displace actors, with AI allegedly being used to replicate actors’ voices or create digital copies without consent.

“We will not agree to a contract that allows companies to abuse AI to the detriment of our members. Enough is enough,” emphasized SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher.

In addition to artificial intelligence, the parties failed to reach agreements on other issues, including wages and healthcare.

Back in July 2023, SAG-AFTRA authorized a strike against the use of artificial intelligence in the film industry.

Read why neural networks won’t replace actors on Forklog: https://forklog.com/exclusive/ai/pochemu-nejroseti-ne-zamenyat-akterov