SAG-Aftra, the labour union that represents thousands of performers, has sparked outrage after agreeing a deal with a company that clones people’s voices for use in video games.
According to Rock Paper Shotgun, voice actors with credits in high-profile games including Baldur’s Gate 3, Mortal Kombat, and World of Warcraft called the deal a “betrayal", and urged their peers to reject it.
Announcing the pact at the CES tech conference in Las Vegas, SAG-Aftra said it would grant voiceover performers “fair compensation” for use of their digitally recreated voices.
The company at the heart of the controversial deal is Replica Studios, which offers game developers access to its AI voice library of more than 120 voices. While SAG-Aftra argues that the agreement is designed to protect voice actors, some performers disagree.
Excuse me? With all due respect…you state in the article “Approved by affected members of the union’s voiceover performer community.” Nobody in our community approved this that I know of. Games are the bulk of my livelihood and have been for years. Who are you referring to?
— Steve Blum (@blumspew) January 9, 2024
“Nobody in our community approved this that I know of. Games are the bulk of my livelihood and have been for years. Who are you referring to?” wrote Steve Blum, the actor known for voicing Mortal Kombat’s iconic Sub-Zero and Baraka, with additional credits in World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy, and more.
“What a betrayal. I tried to inform @sagaftra about their utter failure to make any real AI protections and they instead got in bed with an AI company,” tweeted Starfield and Valorant actor Melissa Medína. “Don't give your voice to this. SAG proved it absolutely has no understanding of AI nor any intention to protect us from it.”
What a betrayal. I tried to inform @sagaftra about their utter failure to make any REAL AI protections & they instead got in bed with an AI company. Don't give your voice to this. SAG proved it absolutely has no understanding of AI nor any intention to protect us from it. https://t.co/HxUJRHaRGk
— MELISSA MEDÍNA (@melissamedinavo) January 9, 2024
Elsewhere, Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dying Light 2 actor-director Thomas Mitchells called the agreement “disappointing” and “troubling”, adding that “studios will look past creativity for convenience and this will potentially have a detrimental effect on artists".
The deal comes as cultural industries are trying to set boundaries for the use of AI in media and entertainment. After months-long strike action, SAG-Aftra reached a deal with Hollywood last year that meant studios had to obtain consent and pay actors before using their AI-generated likeness.
A disappointing agreement SAG-AFTRA have made regarding AI use.
— Thomas Mitchells (@IAmTomMitchells) January 10, 2024
Studios will look past creativity for convenience and this will potentially have a detrimental effect on artists.
I wasn't as concerned before but for the most influential trade union to accept this is troubling.
In the meantime, the crisis spilled over into the world of gaming. Last October, SAG-Aftra members voted overwhelmingly to authorise a separate strike against 10 major video game companies, including Electronic Arts and Activision Productions.
Alongside talent, the arrival of AI is also affecting players. Earlier this week, the PC game store Steam announced new rules that meant developers would have to disclose their use of AI. It said the move would allow the release of the "vast majority" of games that use the tech.
The deal with Replica Studios governs the use of “digital voice replicas” by video game studios and other interactive media companies. It includes safeguards for minimum rates, consent, and opt-out agreements in a bid to give actors control over any AI duplications through explicit licensing.
