The video game actors’ strike, led by SAG-AFTRA, has entered its second week with no significant progress in negotiations. The strike began on July 26 when the union walked away from talks with video game publishers over concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) use in video game productions. The main issue is the limited protection that AI video game studios offer.
SAG-AFTRA Chief Contract Officer Ray Rodriguez said that until last week, the producers were only interested in offering these protections to voice performers and not on-camera performers. The video game industry also uses stunt, movement, and creature performers whose voices are not necessarily involved in the production, leaving them out of the proposed protections. The strike affects video game producers like Activision Productions, Electronic Arts Productions, Epic Games, and Warner Bros. Games.
Rodriguez said that the current contract being offered by game publishers includes some protections for on-camera performers but with exceptions that undermine these protections for both on-camera and voice actors.
AI concerns in performer rights
For example, a digital replica of a performer under the terms given by management must be identifiable as that performer, which is problematic as the digital characters in games often do not resemble the actual performers.
SAG-AFTRA’s fight against the unauthorized use of its members’ likenesses highlights larger issues, including AI-generated content and misinformation. Performers are sort of the canary in the coal mine,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a danger to everyone if [AI recreations] can be done freely, and we can’t trust what we see and hear anymore.”
Video game publishers expressed disappointment over SAG-AFTRA’s decision to leave negotiations and stated their readiness to resume talks.
We have already found common ground on 24 out of 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety provisions,” a spokesperson for the video game producers said. “Our offer extends meaningful AI protections that require consent and fair compensation to all performers.”
Both sides are open to resuming negotiations. “Negotiations don’t stop just because you’re on strike—in fact, the only way to come off strike is to reach a negotiated resolution,” Rodriguez said.
“We’re ready, willing, and able to continue bargaining and hope it will happen sooner rather than later.”
The strike remains a pivotal moment for the entertainment industry as it grapples with the evolving role of AI in production and the rights of performers in this new landscape.
