SAG-AFTRA announces agreement with AI voice company Ethovox
SAG-AFTRA has signed a contract with AI voice company Ethovox to ensure that performers are protected and fairly compensated.
The agreement will ensure that actors who participate in creating Ethovox's foundational voice model consent to their voice being used, and are compensated from the outset. Actors will also receive ongoing payments for the life of the model.
Founded by CEO Cissy Jones and CPO Julian Kwasneski, Ethovox's model "will not be user-facing" and the voices provided "will not be identifiable in any of the speech generated."
The Ethovox agreement was approved by SAG-AFTRA's Corporate/Educational & Non-Broadcast Committee. It was also presented to and approved by the union's National Executive Committee.
"What will safeguard voice actors' livelihoods in the AI age is more contractual protection, not less," said SAG-AFTRA national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.
"That's why SAG-AFTRA will continue to recognise AI companies, like Ethovox, that agree with our union's guidelines.
"Not everyone will want to work with an AI company, that's understandable. But for those who intend to utilise the opportunities AI offers, it's important that agreements require companies to secure informed consent, and provide fair compensation. Without [these protections], this new era will become a 'Wild West' of AI misuse and exploitation."
Ethovox CEO Cissy Jones added: "Ethovox is the only AI voice company owned and managed by voice actors, and we are pleased to be partnering with SAG-AFTRA on building a foundational voice AI model that prioritises the interests of voice actors.
"AI should be a choice. For that reason, we have reached out to the voice actor community throughout this process. Ethovox will continue to do as we demonstrate that artists can, and should, be compensated for contributing to ethical AI development while also maintaining consent and control over their voice data."
Earlier this year, SAG-AFTRA called for a video game strike to
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