Video game performers are set to go on strike due to concerns over the use of artificial intelligence (AI)

Hollywood's video game performers announced a strike starting at 12:01 a.m. Friday, following unsuccessful contract negotiations with major game studios over artificial intelligence (AI) protections. This is the second strike for video game voice actors and motion capture performers under the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).

Negotiations with gaming giants, including Activision, Warner Bros., and Walt Disney Co., have been ongoing for nearly two years. While progress has been made on wages and job safety, disagreements over AI regulations remain unresolved. SAG-AFTRA negotiators emphasize the need for clear definitions and protections for performers, arguing that game companies could use AI to replicate actors' voices and likenesses without consent or fair compensation.

SAG-AFTRA Chief Contracts Officer Ray Rodriguez highlighted that the industry does not always recognize everyone performing movements as "performers" covered by the collective bargaining agreement, sometimes treating physical performances as "data." This could allow game companies to train AI models on these performances without appropriate protections.

Despite the game studios offering AI protections, SAG-AFTRA's negotiating committee found the proposals insufficient, especially for those doing stunt work or creature performances. Actor and negotiating committee member Andi Norris stressed the need for comprehensive coverage of all types of performance work.

The global video game industry, generating over $100 billion annually, relies heavily on the contributions of performers. SAG-AFTRA members had previously voted to authorize the strike, motivated by concerns about AI's impact on their work, similar to issues that fueled last year's film and television strikes.

The last interactive contract, expiring in November 2022, lacked AI protections but included bonus compensation for voice actors and performance capture artists after an 11-month strike in 2016. The current video game agreement covers more than 2,500 performers, including voiceover artists, motion capture actors, stunt coordinators, singers, dancers, puppeteers, and background performers.

In February, SAG-AFTRA introduced a separate contract for independent and lower-budget video game projects, incorporating some AI protections that larger game companies have rejected. These projects are not affected by the current strike.