Hollywood Alliance and Copy have reached an agreement to control the voice of AI in video games

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) – the trade association representing 150,000 film and television professionals – has reached an agreement with artificial intelligence (AI) audio technology company Replica Studios. On January 9, SAG-AFTRA announced a “basic” agreement regarding the use of AI voice in video games.

The agreement allows Replica to create and license digital copies of actors protected by SAG-AFTRA under “fair and ethical” conditions. Licensed sounds can be used in AAA video games and “other interactive media projects” from pre-production to final release.

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In addition to the “minimum terms and conditions”, the agreement gives the executors the right to agree and negotiate with the AI ​​company, as well as the power to opt out of the “continuing use” of their votes in “new projects”.

SAG-AFTRA National Executive and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland believes the union has achieved all of its targets in negotiations with the copycat:

“In this agreement, we have obtained fully informed consent and fair compensation for the use of our members' voices and performances.”

However, the acting community and some members of SAG-AFTRA are not happy with the announced deal.

Doesn't leadership understand that we really love to work? I don't want a copy of my AI to be used in AAA games. I really want to *work* on those AAA games.

How is this endless pushback “moral” if most VOA actors say we shouldn't wash our voices? https://t.co/sxCUZpyHnf

— Kamran Nikhad (@KamranNikhad) January 9, 2024

The most direct argument against the agreement is that the actors prefer to work on the record and not just provide a sample of their voice. Others emphasize the lack of detail in SAG-AFTRA's press release or any voting process to confirm the union's agreement.

Oh…. oh my. @sagaftra no. The fact that they didn't include any details about the deal immediately disappointed me. There is no way this is really going to be good for us. If it's a good deal I'll happily eat my words but….nope. https://t.co/tFcD2119Tj

— Jennifer Kathleen Roberts (@akaGhostBird) January 9, 2024

In the year In November 2023, SAG-AFTRA struck another major deal regarding AI, with major movie studios at the time. The union agreed on guidelines for employees to create, use and change “digital copies”. The agreement refers to compensation for the creation and use of their AI copies and for use in any additional projects or other media.

“Approved by the aggrieved members of the union voting community…” Uhhh, when and when @sagaftra???

I didn't realize this until *now* and I'm the exact member you're talking about. https://t.co/PMvhZumiUS

— Shelby Young (@shelby_young) January 9, 2024

Despite an 86% approval vote in SAG-AFTRA, that deal drew mixed reactions in the acting community. Previously, in September 2023, the Writers Guild of America ended its strike with an agreement that limited the studio's ability to force screenwriters to use AI.

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