Video gamers strike over AI

Major video game companies — including Activision, Warner Bros., and Walt Disney — are facing a strike by Hollywood artists over the use of artificial intelligence.

This comes after a year and a half of talks on a new contract between the companies and a union representing more than 2,500 video game players.

The two sides say they have agreed on many key issues, such as wages and work safety, but protections related to the use of AI technology remain a major hurdle.

Artists are concerned about game studios using generative AI to reproduce their voices and physical appearance to animate video game characters without giving them fair compensation.

“Despite reaching agreements on many issues… the employers refuse to clearly state, in clear and enforceable language, that they will protect all performers covered by this contract in their AI language,” the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) said in a statement.

“We will not agree to a contract that allows companies to misuse AI at the expense of our members,” she added.

However, video game studios said they had already made enough concessions to the union’s demands.

“We are disappointed that the guild chose to walk away when we were so close to reaching an agreement,” said Audrey Collinge, a spokeswoman for the 10 video game producers negotiating with the Video Game Producers Guild.

“Our proposal directly responds to Sag-Aftra’s concerns and extends meaningful AI protections that include requiring consent and fair compensation for all performers who work under [Interactive Media Agreement]”She added,”

The Interactive Media Agreement covers artists who provide voiceover services and on-camera work to create video game characters.

The last such deal, which did not provide protection for AI, was due to expire in November 2022 but was extended on a monthly basis while talks continued.

The 118-day shutdown was the longest in the union’s 90-year history.

In addition to a separate writers’ strike, these actions have severely disrupted film and television production and cost the California economy more than $6.5 billion, according to entertainment industry publication Deadline.