Video game workers quit over AI issues.

The SAG-AFTRA union, which has already brought about a revolution in the film business through its demands, is now focusing on video games.

The past tends to repeat itself. In this particular instance, the SAG-AFTRA union is the one that is leading the strike, and it is the voice actors and video game actors on strike. This was the culmination of 18 months of unsuccessful discussions with video game firms, which took place within the framework of the Interactive Media Agreement (IMA), according to the announcement made by the union on July 26. What is the sagging point? The call for safeguards to prevent the application of artificial intelligence in the field of voice acting and interpretation.

A contract that permits businesses to exploit artificial intelligence to the detriment of our members is not something that we will tolerate without question. There is no more room for improvement. According to a statement released by SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher, “We will be here, ready to negotiate, when these companies get serious about delivering a deal that our members can live under and work under.” It was in 2023 when the union negotiated deals with the film industry following a protracted strike, the impacts of which are still being felt today. Drescher had already earned prominence by that time.

According to Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, who serves as the Chief Negotiator for SAG-AFTRA and is also the National Executive Director of the organization, “Frankly, it is astonishing that these video game studios have learned nothing from what happened last year: that our members can and will stand up and demand fair and equitable treatment with respect to Artificial Intelligence, and the public supports these demands.”

In contrast, the publishers of video games have published their own statement regarding the matter. In it, they express their dissatisfaction with the union’s decision to withdraw from negotiations at a time when they are so close to reaching an agreement, and they reiterate their willingness to resume negotiations. On twenty-four of the twenty-five measures, we have already reached a consensus on a number of them, including historically significant wage hikes and other safety provisions.

An absolute halt
In point of fact, the businesses, which include Disney, Warner Bros. Games, Electronic Arts, and Activision, have stated that “our offer directly addresses SAG-AFTRA’s concerns and expands meaningful AI protections.” These protections include the requirement of consent and fair remuneration for all performers who are employed by the IMA. Within the realm of the entertainment industry, these terms are among the most powerful. The union, which is now formally on strike, felt that this was not enough to satisfy their demands. Within the span of eight years, the union has organized two strikes, and this one is the second one.

Comic-Con, on the other hand, will not be impacted by the strike (as was the case with certain premieres and press conferences the previous year, when Hollywood actors went on strike), as SAG-AFTRA has made this exception possible. It has been determined that the explanation for this is the small margin of reaction that experts who attended the event would have had.

According to the proposal made by the employers, motion capture performers would only be able to claim safeguards regarding consent and AI remuneration if their work was being done for a character that looked remarkably similar to them. This is the primary bone of contention between the union and the companies. In particular, this is a highly restricting factor, especially in the world of video games, where you frequently work with fictional characters that do not always appear like their voice counterparts.

It remains to be seen how this stoppage will impact the production of future video games, particularly when taking into consideration the fact that voice actors and voice talent are only one more component of the incredibly complicated process of developing a video game. Over the course of 118 days, the actors went on strike, which caused the industry to suffer damages of three billion euros. Several television shows, including “Stranger Things,” “The Last of Us,” “Daredevil: Born Again,” and the most recent chapter of “Mission: Impossible,” saw a noticeable delay in their filming. It is anticipated that, if the strike persists, the video game industry would have consequences that are comparable to those seen in the film industry.

Video game workers quit over AI issues.

The SAG-AFTRA union, which has already brought about a revolution in the film business through its demands, is now focusing on video games.

By b0oua

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