‘Betrayed’: Voice Actors Condemn SAG-AFTRA’s AI Game Deal

Many voice actors are unhappy with the latest SAG-AFTRA agreement this week that allows one company. Copy studiosto process AI-powered trade union member votes at their own discretion.

The full agreement itself hasn't been released yet, but the Actors and Performers Association shared in a post Tuesday that it has laid out rules for the use of voiceover recordings, including actor licensing, compensation and some control over future use.

But some talent, like the famous SAG-AFTRA voice actor Kellen GoffThe voice actor, best known for his work on the game series Five Nights at Freddy's, responded to the news by saying that they should leave SAG-AFTRA and form their own separate union.

“Voice actors need their own union to stand up for what's right,” he said. Troy KaredesVoice actor and community leader at game studio Aesir Interactive. “I am shocked by this decision. Actors want to act and the threat of machine learning and AI taking away acting opportunities and autonomy is a very dangerous example.

Many other voice actors were upset that SAG-AFTRA did not vote for such a deal, while others felt that too few voice actors were consulted before the deal was struck.

“No actors are actively trying to monetize their AI versions,” said a non-union voice actor and senior sound designer at Bungie. Pax Helgeson. “First of all, we don't want it. We want to work. You already know which one he votes for.

“Nobody in our community that I know of has allowed that,” said the SAG-AFTRA voice actor. Steve BlumHe has voiced characters in shows such as “Cowboy Bebop,” Wolverine in Marvel's “Wolverine and the X-Men,” and in video games such as Mortal Kombat and God of War.

Veronica TaylorIn the first eight seasons of the Pokemon anime series, Ash calls Ketchu and his mother the SAG-AFTRA Replica deal a “slippery slope down”.

“How did this deal pass without notice or a vote?” Taylor asked. Why can't real actors be used for video games? Each job brings a unique opportunity for an actor to work. Encouraging/permissive AI replacement is a slippery slope.

Similarly, “Digimon” and “Akira” anime voice actor Joshua Seth said the deal “Big mistakeHe said.

Many other actors expressed their displeasure and disagreement with the agreement and Union leadershipWith the voice actor of “Samurai Jack”. Greg Baldwin He called the union “vain” and implored SAG-AFTRA to “go crazy.”

“And here I thought that the alliance should support people and not feed them to wolves,” said the voice actor of “Attack on Titan” and “Dragon Ball Super”. Clifford Chapin.

“Such a slap in the face,” wrote the Jenshin Impact voice actor Daman Mills. “It's truly a shame that SAG-AFTRA has preached unity among its members, consistently solicited the support of voice actors, and consistently failed.[s] To get even the most basic protections. Not an A-list celebrity? I think it's not a priority.

Artificial intelligence remains a hotly debated topic in the entertainment and gaming industries. Tech and gaming companies continue to embrace and sing the praises of AI. Xbox And NVIDIAFor example, frustrated actors, writers, and game developers have tried to create Generative AI as a tool to help them do their jobs better and faster. But many industry workers don't believe that narrative, instead they hold it A confirmed fear AI can end up taking or eliminating future jobs.

“I will not be signing my pink slip,” wrote the “Samurai Jack” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender” voice actor. Greg Baldwin In the post to the union.

“You betrayed us.” said Baldwin.

Decrypt He reached out to SAG-AFTRA as well as several local union chapters for feedback.

Edited by Andrew Hayward.