Key Highlights:
- Picket Line Action: Hollywood’s video game performers head to Warner Bros. Studios to protest against the use of AI in gaming.
- Strike Trigger: The strike follows prolonged negotiations with major gaming companies over AI protections.
- Union Concerns: SAG-AFTRA raises alarm over the unregulated use of AI, emphasizing the need for fair compensation and consent.
- Industry Response: Video game producers assert they have offered reasonable terms for AI use and increased wages.
Background on the Protest
Hollywood’s video game performers are mobilizing at Warner Bros. Studios in response to concerns over artificial intelligence (AI) usage in the gaming industry. The protest, set to take place Thursday, is the first major labor action since game voice actors and motion capture workers voted to strike last week. This move follows over 18 months of negotiations with prominent gaming companies, including Activision, Warner Bros., and Walt Disney Co., over a new interactive media agreement.
Union’s Stand on AI Protections
SAG-AFTRA, representing game voice actors and motion capture artists, views the unregulated use of AI as a significant threat. The union argues that AI’s capability to create convincing digital replicas of performers’ voices and likenesses without proper consent or fair compensation poses a severe risk. They insist that AI represents an even greater threat in gaming compared to film and television, given its potential to cheaply replicate performers’ work.
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Industry’s Offer and Disputes
Hollywood’s Video Game: Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the video game producers, stated that companies have proposed robust AI protections and substantial wage increases for SAG-AFTRA-represented performers. The offer includes terms for consent and compensation if AI reproductions or digital replicas are used in games. Cooling emphasized that the aim is to balance protecting performers’ rights while leveraging advanced technology to enhance the gaming experience.
However, SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating committee contends that the studios’ definition of a “performer” is a crucial issue. The union argues that some physical performances are being treated merely as “data,” which may not be adequately protected under the collective bargaining agreement.
Negotiation Dynamics
Hollywood’s Video Game: The union had been in discussions with a bargaining group representing signatory video game companies, including Activision Productions Inc., Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc., Electronic Arts Productions Inc., Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc., Llama Productions LLC, Take 2 Productions Inc., VoiceWorks Productions Inc., and WB Games Inc.
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Industry Perspective and Future Outlook
The global video game industry, which generated nearly $184 billion in revenue in 2023 and is projected to reach $207 billion by 2026, is at a critical juncture. Cooling affirmed the companies’ commitment to including SAG-AFTRA-represented performers in their productions and resolving the remaining issues in negotiations to end the strike.
In summary, the picket line action underscores the ongoing debate over AI’s role in the gaming industry, highlighting the need for fair compensation and protections for performers as technology continues to evolve.
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