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SAG-AFTRA Coalition Today The move comes after a failure to reach an agreement over the use of AI has led to strikes against several major video game publishers, with the measures taking effect at 12:01 a.m. on July 26.
“We will not agree to a contract that allows companies to misuse AI to harm our members,” said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher. “Enough is enough. If these companies are serious about offering a contract that allows our members to live and work, we are open to negotiating.”
SAG-AFTRA’s performers working in the games industry “are entitled to, and are demanding, the same fundamental protections as performers in the film, TV, streaming and music industries: fair compensation and the right to informed consent to the use of their faces, voices and bodies by AI,” said Duncan Crabtree Ireland, the union’s national executive director and chief negotiator.
The union has been lobbying the video game industry to agree to protect its members’ likenesses and voices from being recreated by AI. SAG-AFTRA began negotiating an interactive media pact with companies in October 2022. Other studios have agreed to the union’s contract. The union secured a similar deal earlier this year.
Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the gaming companies included in the interactive media deal, issued a statement on behalf of the companies. “We are disappointed that the union chose to withdraw when we were so close to an agreement. We stand ready to resume negotiations,” she said. “We have already found common ground on 24 of our 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety provisions. Our proposal directly responds to SAG-AFTRA’s concerns and extends meaningful AI protections, including requiring consent and fair compensation for all performers working under the IMA. These terms are among the strongest in the entertainment industry.”
The studios affected by the strike are:
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Activision Productions Inc.
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Blind Light LLC
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Disney Character Voice Co., Ltd.
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Electronic Arts Productions Inc.
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Formosa Interactive LLC
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Insomniac Games Inc.
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Llama Productions LLC
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Take 2 Productions Inc.
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Voiceworks Productions Inc.
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WB Games Inc.