Starfield, Baldur's Gate 3, and Diablo 4 actors slam union's "first deal of its kind" with voiceover studio over AI use in games: "We didn’t even have a meeting"
Several video game performers have been left "disappointed" with US union SAG-AFTRA's new agreement with an AI voice technology company.
On January 19, during CES 2024, SAG-AFTRA and Replica Studios announced their new agreement, which "paves the way for professional voiceover artists to safely explore new employment opportunities for their digital voice replicas." The agreement features "industry-leading protections" that are "tailored to AI technology" and will allow AAA video game studios and other companies to access SAG-AFTRA talent via Replica.
"The agreement between the leading AI voice company and the world's largest performers' union will enable Replica to engage SAG-AFTRA members under a fair, ethical agreement to safely create and license a digital replica of their voice," the announcement from the union reads. "Licensed voices can be used in video game development and other interactive media projects from pre-production to final release."
Understandably, voice actors are baffled by SAG-AFTRA's decision. Similar to when Microsoft announced its partnership with InWorld AI, several actors have taken to Twitter to voice their grievances with the new agreement - with many claiming they were never approached by the union, despite it claiming the deal was "approved by affected members of the union's voiceover performer community."
Excuse me? With all due respect…you state in the article “Approved by affected members of the union’s voiceover performer community.” Nobody in our community approved this that I know of. Games are the bulk of my livelihood and have been for years. Who are you referring to?January 9, 2024
By the way; this deal could be the greatest deal ever and I’ll still be ticked that no one called me
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