SAG-AFTRA flexes its metaphorical K/D ratio 3 months into voice acting strike over AI: 'More than 120 games from 49 companies have now signed'

pcgamer.com:

It's been around three months since SAG-AFTRA, a union representing over 160,000 actors across the industry (note: also in videogames), declared a strike over AI, stating that «employers refuse to plainly affirm, in clear and enforceable language, that they will protect all performers covered by this contract in their AI language.»

Sarah Elmaleh, an actor and union negotiator, said at the time that «eighteen months of negotiations have shown us that our employers are not interested in fair, reasonable AI protections, but rather flagrant exploitation».

The strike has been proceeding apace according to the union, which shared some good news via an update posted to its website earlier this week: «On the eve of the scheduled resumption of negotiations on the video game contract, SAG-AFTRA has announced that more than 120 games from 49 companies have now signed the union’s tiered-budget or interim agreements.

»Significantly, these contracts contain the same common-sense, foundational A.I. protections that SAG-AFTRA members are asking for in the Interactive Media Agreement—demonstrating that the provisions are fair and achievable, and providing employment opportunities to members during the work stoppage."

Elameh also made a statement, included in the update: «Humane protections for actors against AI exploitation are not an unreasonable ask—and the success of these contracts shows that most companies agree. They are happy to embrace fundamental, ethical guidelines around this tool—alongside equitable accommodation of it—in order to collaborate with professional talent. And talent are likewise eager and delighted to partner with companies that respect them.»

While some proponents of AI technology might oppose such measures—such as the boss of Amazon Games who, staggeringly, claimed that videogames «don't really have acting» in them—AI is incredibly unpopular amongst the people actually doing the work these models tend to scrape.

Baldur's Gate 3's cast, who've produced some