Representatives of the video game industry, part of the guild of film actors and the American Federation of Television and Radio Workers (Sag-Aftra), have initiated a strike amid negotiations with leading game studios regarding the protection of actors from abuse in the application of artificial intelligence (AI).
President of Sag-Aftra, Fran Dresher, stated that they will not agree to terms that would allow companies to use AI against their participants.
Almost a year after a nearly unanimous vote for a potential strike, this decision follows a four-month protest by cinema and television actors, addressing the issue of studios replicating actors’ appearances for advertising. Sag-AFTRA expressed concerns in early September 2023 that video game actors may face similar problems following the expiration of their collective agreement in 2022.
The strike will impact major companies such as Activision Blizzard, Disney, Electronic Arts, Sony’s Insomniac Games subsidiary, and others, with Sag-Aftra having negotiated with these studios for a year and a half.
Despite progress on key issues, Sag-Aftra stated that employers have refused to legally guarantee the protection of all performers, leading to the initiation of the strike.
Ray Rodriguez, the main negotiator for Sag-Aftra, highlighted that the issue extends beyond voice actors, pointing out that some industry representatives do not view all performers as part of the collective agreement, disregarding the work of motion capture specialists and stunt performers.
“At least we have resorted to a strike after dedicating as much time to the process as we could,” Rodriguez mentioned during a press conference.
Studios’ representative Audrey Kuling expressed regret about the trade union leaving negotiations at a crucial stage, noting that 24 agreements had been reached, including significant wage increases and enhanced security measures.