Artificial intelligence played a crucial role in last year’s Hollywood strikes, and now it has triggered a second walkout by actors in the gaming industry. The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) initiated the strike against gaming giants, highlighting the issues of consent and compensation for actors whose voices and movements are utilized by AI to create game characters. This strike illustrates the challenges faced in negotiating with technology companies that view actors merely as data rather than appreciating the value of their performances.
Unique Challenges in the Gaming Industry
The strike involves around 2,600 artists providing voice dubbing services for video games and actors whose physical movements are captured to animate characters. Negotiations with companies like Activision, Disney, Electronic Arts, and Warner Bros. Games have been challenging due to the companies’ lack of dedicated full-time negotiators and obsession with secrecy. Furthermore, video game characters often combine the performances of multiple actors, creating complexities in determining compensation and consent.
Video game companies have utilized AI to not only replicate specific actors but also to generate new voices and movements from a composite of human performers. This poses a threat to actors as it becomes harder to track and claim ownership over their work. Exploiting loopholes in negotiations and leveraging generative AI technologies, companies try to evade providing fair compensation to actors for their contributions.
Voice actors like Lindsay Rousseau express concerns about the rapid encroachment of AI on their jobs, particularly in providing voices for non-player characters and creatures in video games. Without proper AI protections, only a select few renowned voice actors may thrive in the industry, leaving aspiring actors struggling to make a living. The looming threat of job insecurity due to AI advancements adds to the challenges faced by vulnerable actors, especially in the aftermath of the Hollywood strikes.
The approach to the video game walkout may require a more diverse and innovative strategy compared to the Hollywood strikes. Suggestions to focus on streamers, online platforms, and in-person arenas aim to draw attention to the issues faced by actors in the gaming industry. By highlighting the impact of AI on actors’ livelihoods and emphasizing the need for fair compensation and consent, the strike seeks to address the evolving landscape of the gaming industry.
As the gaming industry grapples with the challenges posed by AI and the exploitation of actors’ performances, the ongoing strike by SAG-AFTRA sheds light on the importance of fair treatment and recognition of actors in this digital age. The negotiations between actors and technology companies underscore the need for ethical practices and transparency in utilizing AI technologies in creating video game characters. By standing up for their rights and demanding accountability from industry giants, actors strive to secure a sustainable future in the ever-evolving landscape of the gaming industry.
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