SAG-AFTRA games members go on strike over AI
Screen Actors Guild of America (SAG-AFTRA) members who work in video games have gone on strike as of this morning.
The work stoppage is due to the union wanting to provide its membership with greater security as more and more games firms explore the notion of using generative AI. This comes just under two years after negotiations first began between SAG-AFTRA and companies from the games industry, including Activision, EA, Take-Two and Warner Bros.
In September 2023, members overwhelmingly voted for strike authorisation.
“We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse A.I. to the detriment of our members. Enough is enough," SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher said.
"When these companies get serious about offering an agreement our members can live — and work — with, we will be here, ready to negotiate."
“The video game industry generates billions of dollars in profit annually," the union's national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.
"The driving force behind that success is the creative people who design and create those games. That includes the SAG-AFTRA members who bring memorable and beloved game characters to life, and they deserve and demand the same fundamental protections as performers in film, television, streaming, and music: fair compensation and the right of informed consent for the A.I. use of their faces, voices, and bodies. Frankly, it’s stunning that these video game studios haven’t learned anything from the lessons of last year - that our members can and will stand up and demand fair and equitable treatment with respect to A.I., and the public supports us in that."
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