SAG-AFTRA recently announced an AI voice agreement with Replica Studios during CES' opening day, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
According to the union, the agreement will let its members “safely explore new employment opportunities for their digital voice replicas with industry-leading protections tailored to AI technology, allowing AAA video game studios and other companies working with Replica to access top SAG-AFTRA talent.”
SAG-AFTRA and Replica Studios' deal
The guild stated that this agreement will cover licensed voices “in video game development and other interactive media projects from pre-production to final release.”
SAG-AFTRA national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said that the agreement has “evolution improvements” including safe storage to the one with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producesrs (AMPTP). During the strike and negotiations, AI was a sticking point between the two organizations.
The agreement establishes minimum terms and conditions, as well as ensuring performers' consent and negotiating for the use of their digital voice double. It also requires that performers are allowed to opt out the continued use of their digital voice doubles in new works.
Crabtree-Ireland further explained that the language in this agreement can be used as the guild continues to negotiate regarding the use of AI in other areas.
He said, “This agreement is about voice replication in video games.” Crabtree-Ireland added that voice over actors are on the “cutting edge of the implementation of AI and the risks that come with it.”
The announcement was made with Shreyas Nivas, Replica Studios' co-founder and CEO. The guild also released a full statement on their website.
Voice acting and AI
However, some voice actors see this as AI encroaching on their workplace, regardless of a deal with Replica or any other company.
Kamran Nikhad, who has done voice work for major video games such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Marvel Avengers Academy, posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Does leadership not understand that we actually like working? I don't want my AI replica being used in AAA games. I want to actually *work* on those AAA games. If the vast majority of VO actors are saying not to scrub our voices, then how is this endless push at all ‘ethical'?”
One point of contention from voice actors was that the deal was not communicated to all union members. Many said that they feel as if they didn't have any voice in the final decisions as well as the terms of the deal.
Another voice actor, Jennifer Caitlin Roberts, also took to X to say that the announcement at CES was the first they'd heard of the deal.
“The fact that they don't include any details of the agreement makes me immediately pessimistic. There's no way this is actually good for us. If it is a good agreement I will happily eat my words but…. oh no,” she posted on the social media website.
IGN reached out to Crabtree-Ireland for clarification, and he said this: “Our AI deal with Replica Studios is an important step in ensuring the ethical application of these technologies in a way that ensures the use of members’ voices occurs only with informed consent and fair compensation. This is a deal that covers one company, with regard to the development of video games. This deal does not impact our IMA negotiations. Rather, it sets a model for our industry, building on the terms approved by 80% of our members just a month ago, and we hope to see more companies adopting agreements like this one.”
At the risk of committing bothsideism here, if taken on faith, the SAG-AFTRA deal with Replica ensures that voice actors have a leg to stand on when it comes to AI being used on their voices. If they wish, they can opt out of the deal.
However, some voice actors don't want to entertain the thought of AI in their work space at all, essentially replacing them. Most of them on have posted on X about wanting to work. The actors want to physically be able to bring characters to life with their own voices, and not have a software use their voice to read a script.
One of the performers' big fears is the guild's seeming acquiescence when it comes to AI. Last month, SAG-AFTRA was criticized for using an allegedly AI-generated image to promote their Labor Innovation & Technology Summit.
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