Artificial intelligence at core of video game actors’ strike: Expert explains
The actors who provide the voices for everyone’s favorite video game characters will be raising those voices in a different way as they hold up signs and chant in picket lines. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has gone on strike against 10 major companies that make video games.
“It’s no coincidence that the video game performers’ strike comes on the heels of prolonged strikes by both screen writers and actors in the past year,” said video games and communications expert James Ivory. “This new strike is over a failure to reach an agreement with top video game production companies over how artificial intelligence will be applied to actors’ work and likenesses in video games, and use of AI was one of the issues — though not the only issue — in both the writers’ and actors’ strike.”
Ivory answered more questions about the reasons for and potential consequences of the strike, including artificial intelligence (AI).
What are the concerns that led to the strike?
“The 2,600 or so striking video game actors are concerned that their agreement with the major production companies doesn’t protect them enough from the possibility that AI can be used to reproduce elements of actors’ work, such as their voice acting, movement recorded with motion-capture technology, and visual appearance, without adequate compensation. While the strike goes on, the actors won’t work on or promote any games that were not in production by August 25, 2023.”
How severely could the strike disrupt the video game industry?
“While the strike will be disruptive for both the striking actors and game production studios, audiences will not likely see as many massive delays and cancellations of video game releases as we did with films and television series during the recent strikes. Big game productions take years, and games that began production by August 25, 2023, are exempted from the strike, so release dates won’t be affected.”
How long might this strike last?
“There is hope resolution will come soon: unlike with the other strikes of the past year, which lasted several months, the AI terms are only one remaining point of disagreement after the other 24 of 25 bargaining points have been settled. Production company spokespeople have claimed they are close to agreement — let’s hope so.”
About Ivory
James Ivory is a professor of media studies in the Department of English at Virginia Tech. His primary research interests deal with social and psychological dimensions of new media and communication technologies with a focus on the content and effects of technological features of new entertainment media, such as video games. His expertise has been cited in The Washington Post and USA Today. Read more about him here.
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