Hollywood's videogame performers to strike over AI, pay concerns

The Manila Times

Hollywood's videogame performers to strike over AI, pay concerns  Videogame voice actors and motion-capture performers have called a strike over failed labor contract negotiations focused around AI-related protections for workers, bringing about another work stoppage in Hollywood.  The SAG-AFTRA has called a strike of the Interactive Media Agreement that covers video game performers, effective July 26, the union said on Thursday, July 25.  The decision follows months of negotiations with major videogame companies including Activision Productions, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Take-Two Interactive, Disney Character Voices and Warner Bros Discovery's Games.   REUTERS VIDEO  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe  Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net    Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital    Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #TheManilaTimes  #worldnews  #voicetalent  #hollywood  #artificialintelligence

Transcript

00:00After 18 months and still getting proposals back as recently as this past week that do

00:17not cover all our members and protect all their performances from the unethical use

00:24of artificial intelligence, at a certain point you can't just keep doing what hasn't

00:30been working up until now, and we reached that point where it was time to take this

00:35action.

00:36When you bring a performer in to render a performance, you take their data, you take

00:54their likeness, you take their voice, and you use a computer to then be able to digitally

01:00replicate that to generate new performance that that performer would have otherwise been

01:05brought in to do, you are taking their career away, you are alienating from them something

01:11that is essential to their personhood and something that is irreplaceable from a career

01:18perspective.

01:19As far as I know, this contract question, this action, is the first to really be concrete,

01:24specific, and binding around AI protections for any worker in this industry.

01:28The impact isn't only production disruption and performers going to work, but it's also

01:33really the first claim in this industry that every worker deserves the right to bargain

01:39on this issue and to receive the protections they need.

01:41I think that the attention around that and the impact of that is beyond the scope of

01:45just this one question of what work is being done.

01:56I think it will be a significant effect to the video game industry.

02:01In addition to the fact that there are going to be many titles out there now that their

02:04production is going to have to stop because they're not going to be able to have the performers

02:09that they need, the truth of the matter is that whether they realize it or not, these

02:14video game companies, they are entertainment companies.

02:17They like to position themselves as technology companies.

02:19They're really entertainment companies.

02:21They're in the entertainment business, and you don't thrive in the entertainment business

02:26by having a bad relationship with talent.

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