SAG-AFTRA Strike Over AI Protections Stalls Video Game Negotiations

Union and major studios remain far apart on AI usage terms as strike enters eighth month, impacting voice actor roles across the industry.

SAG-AFTRA's strike against video game studios, ongoing since July 2024, centers on securing protections against AI misuse of performers' voices and likenesses.
The union claims studio proposals contain loopholes that would allow the use of past performances and digital replicas without adequate consent or compensation.
Major studios involved in negotiations include Activision Blizzard, EA, Warner Bros. Games, and others, with disputes over transparency and usage rights for AI replicas.
Voice actors have been replaced in games like Zenless Zone Zero and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, as some performers refuse to work without interim agreements ensuring AI protections.
While some progress has been made on other contract terms, SAG-AFTRA emphasizes that AI-related issues remain unresolved, with another picket planned at Disney Character Voices on March 18.