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Will Another Strike Hit Hollywood This Summer?

Will Another Strike Hit Hollywood This Summer?

By Movieguide® Contributor

For over a year and a half, SAG-AFTRA negotiators have been working to protect video game actors from AI, and while significant protections have been secured, major studios’ unwillingness to cooperate might lead to a strike.

“[AI] is the major obstacle to having an agreement,” said SAG-AFTRA’s executive director, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. “The fundamental issue is, at this moment, an unwillingness by this bargaining group to provide an equal level of protection from the dangers of AI for all of our members.”

Similar to the writers’ and actors’ strike last year, SAG-AFTRA’s video game members are not opposed to AI outright; they just want to be in control of how their data is used in relation to AI. The fundamental fear is that studios will train AI using their past and current work, which would place their future job security at risk.

“Our concern is the idea that all of this work translates into grist for the mill that displaces us,” explained Sarah Elmaleh, chair of the interactive negotiating committee. “They do not have to call us back, you do not have to be informed of what they’ve used your material to create.”

While negotiators have been able to secure adequate protections for voice actors, other members of the guild, such as stunt workers and motion capture artists, have yet to be granted the same respect from the major studios.

This has caused numerous side deals to emerge with many indie developers agreeing to more comprehensive deals while the major studios hold out. Because of this, any future strikes would only affect the large studios still holding out, while the studios that have already signed a deal could continue to work unaffected.

While the union workers have remained patient so as not to disrupt the flow of work and face a downturn in production as Hollywood did last year, tensions appear to be rising as the possibility of a strike continues to grow.

Movieguide® previously reported:

As the future of AI in the entertainment industry continues to be explored, SAG-AFTRA signs a deal with AI voiceover company Replica Studios to set the terms for the technology’s use in video games.

Months after the actors’ strike has come to a close, video game actors continue to fight for job security within their sphere of the industry. Though they procured the right to strike over three months ago, video game actors have held off, hoping they can come to a deal without disrupting their workflow.

SAG-AFTRA has now presented the studios with the terms and conditions to create AI-generated voiceovers that protect the actors used to create artificial voices. The terms also define requirements for the safe storage of digital assets.

The deal “will enable Replica to engage SAG-AFTRA members under a fair, ethical agreement to safely create and license a digital replica of their voice. Licensed voices can be used in video game development and other interactive media projects from pre-production to final release,” SAG-AFTRA said.


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