In 2023, members of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists went on strike. The protest came two months after the Hollywood writers’ strike. With the introduction of AI in the media, the community’s artists rose up to protect their value against the use of AI in the media.
The strike ended on November 9, 2023. Despite the deal, there was speculation about how the agreement would hold up given the studios’ copyright laws and contracts. The speculation proved to be telling, because a year later, the SAG-AFTRA union is striking again.
Due to complications in the video game industry, SAG-AFTRA members went on strike on July 26, 2024. The strike is supported by a labor issue involving AI that also began in 2023. Union members believe there is unregulated use of AI and it poses a threat to their jobs as voice actors. This agreement covers more than 2,500 performers.
The union has not disavowed all performers, but it has decided which video game companies will be boycotted. This includes 10 companies: Activism Productions Inc., Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc., Electronic Arts Productions Inc., Epic Games Inc., Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc., Take 2 Productions Inc., VoiceWorks Productions Inc. and WB Games Inc.
This strike took place during Comic-Con 2024, but SAG-AFTRA actors were allowed to attend this event. Some members thought it was a good opportunity to raise awareness of their issue and get video gamers to join them.
The problem with using AI with voices is that studios can use real actors’ voices for words and characters without their consent. A member of the union, Jasiri Booker, explained that they are not against the use of AI, but only: “…please inform us and allow us to consent to the performance you create with our AI doubles.” Without consent, the use of AI could lead to fraud and identity theft.
Studios and actors have not yet come to an agreement because there are copyright laws that are ambiguous about whether voices are property or if they are just sounds. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals finds that a voice is not property because the sounds are not “fixed” or distinguishable enough.
Another ambiguous aspect of actors is their appearance, which AI can also replicate. While looks and personality are technically copyrightable, there are no laws protecting a person’s appearance. It is difficult to prove ownership of looks and voice, making it difficult for actors to take action against AI.
Another problem with AI working in the industry is that it takes jobs away from less experienced actors. Even when studios use real people for the lead roles, they can still easily use AI to fill less important roles without anyone noticing. This results in actors not being able to gain the experience they need in the industry and failing to break through and land more mainstream roles.
The SAG-AFTRA website states that they are still on strike against the video game industry. They have released statements against the companies and outlined the terms of their strike in hopes that all members understand the cause they are fighting for. They hope to eliminate loopholes and digital replicas of themselves. The union and the video game companies will have to wait and see how this affects video game production as well as the future use of AI for voice transmission.
@leanneable00
