SAG-AFTRA is getting ready to talk with big video game companies about AI voice work issues after striking for three months.
On October 23, the union will sit down with companies like Disney, Activision, and Warner Bros. Games to discuss their Interactive Media Agreement. Before that, they’ll be holding a picket at the Warner Bros. lot on October 16. According to the announcement, “SAG-AFTRA and the convenience bargaining group with whom the union negotiates its Interactive Media Agreement will resume negotiations on Wednesday, Oct. 23.” This group includes well-known names like Activision, Disney, and WB Games, among others.
Both sides are keeping quiet for now, with no extra comments available.
Back in the summer, SAG-AFTRA decided to go on strike because they couldn’t agree with these companies on how to protect voice actors and motion-capture performers from AI taking over their voices, movements, and likenesses.
Then in September, the union accused the Formosa Group of sneaky business. They said Formosa was trying to use non-union work for a game in progress, so SAG-AFTRA called the National Labor Relations Board and expanded their strike to include League of Legends, a big game that needs lots of voice work.
In response, a Riot spokesperson explained, “League of Legends has nothing to do with the complaint mentioned in SAG-AFTRA’s press release. We want to be clear: Since becoming a union project five years ago, League of Legends has only asked Formosa to engage with Union performers in the US and has never once suggested doing otherwise. In addition, we’ve never asked Formosa to cancel a game that we’ve registered. All of the allegations in SAG-AFTRA’s press release relating to canceling a game or hiring non-union talent relate to a non-Riot game, and have nothing to do with League or any of our games.”
People want performers to be asked and paid for their work if it’s used in AI for video games.
“What we’re saying to the video game companies is, ‘Step up, do the same thing that all these other industries and companies have done, and respect human creative performance,” said Jeff Bennett, SAG-AFTRA’s general counsel, earlier this month. “Whether that’s voice or physical performance.”
