BURBANK, California: Striking video game voice actors and motion-capture performers held their first picket at Warner Bros. Games, expressing concerns that artificial intelligence (AI) poses a threat to their professions.
Leeanna Albanese, a voice actor from “Persona 5 Tactica” and a strike captain, told Reuters that the models being used have been trained on their voices without their consent or compensation.
The strike was called after labor contract negotiations failed, primarily due to disagreements over AI-related protections for workers. This is the latest in a series of Hollywood strikes, following union writers and actors who picketed last year, with AI concerns being a major issue.
Jeff Leach, a British actor known for his role in “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare & Warzone,” emphasized that removing the human element from interactive projects in favor of AI is noticeable and detracts from the experience. The decision to strike came after months of negotiations with major video game companies, including Activision Productions, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Take-Two Interactive, Disney Character Voices, and Warner Bros Discovery’s WB Games. However, analysts suggest that companies like Electronic Arts and Take-Two might not face immediate impacts due to their in-house studios and the lengthy development cycles of games.
The strike also highlights a broader call for action across Hollywood, advocating for laws to protect workers from AI-related risks. Albanese mentioned the NO FAKES Act, a bipartisan bill in Congress that would make it illegal to create an AI replica of someone’s likeness and voice without their permission. This bill has received support from SAG-AFTRA, the Motion Picture Association, The Recording Academy, and Disney.
Prominent figures, including Grammy-winning artist Taylor Swift and Vice President Kamala Harris, have expressed concern about the dangers of deep fakes created by AI. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the national executive director and chief negotiator of SAG-AFTRA, stressed the need for protections against the abusive use of AI, stating that everyone in the country requires such safeguards.
