Video game voice actors are furious about a new SAG AFTRA deal, made with AI voice technology company Replica. The deal was supposed to ensure fair conditions for voice actors, but it seemed to have done the opposite.
Video game voice actors in the US are furious about a new deal between SAG AFTRA and AI voice generation company, Replica. The deal was supposed to help voice actors with fair conditions in AI use for video games, but the reaction was everything but positive. Hundreds of voice actors claim that they do not feel represented by SAG AFTRA and that their opinions do not matter in this agreement.
Gaming Voice Actors Furious About SAG AFTRA Deal With AI Company, Replica
The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, also known as SAG-AFTRA, is a well-known union in American media production. It represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news editors, anchors, puppeteers, sound technicians, singers, stunt people, voice actors and other media professionals. Just recently, an agreement was announced with the AI voice generation company Replica.
SAG-AFTRA and Replica Studios Introduce Groundbreaking AI Voice Agreement at CES https://t.co/9OmYhDswiy
— SAG-AFTRA NEWS (@sagaftranews) January 9, 2024
The agreement is intended to give voice actors the opportunity to explore new employment opportunities and establish a fair and ethical agreement between game voice actors and AI voice producer Replica.
Our voice actor agreements ensure that game developers using our platform are only accessing licensed talent who have given permission for their voice to be used as a training data set, as opposed to the wild west of AI platforms using unethical data-scraping methods to replicate and synthesize voices without permission.” ~ Shreyas Nivas, CEO of Replica Studios
But looking at the reaction of voice actors to this deal on social media, they didn't take it lightly. Numerous actors claim to feel unrepresented in the decision, SAG AFTRA made.
I am appalled by this decision. Actors want to work and the threat of machine learning and AI taking away acting opportunities and autonomy sets a profoundly dangerous precedent.Voice actors need their own union to stand for what's right.
— (@TroyKaredes) January 9, 2024
The reactions are mostly negative and very against AI voices in games and media generally. Many shared their fear and anger towards AI “voice acting” and how it would nullify years of training and experience that voice actors went through. It's clear that the vast majority of artists are opposed to the idea of giving Replica permission to use their voice as training data for artificial intelligence.
Another major problem is that SAG AFTRA claims that this agreement was "Approved by affected members of the union’s voiceover performer community”, which is clearly not the case, judging by the disappointed reactions towards SAG AFTRA on 𝕏 and several other social media channels. Voice actor Andrew Russell, who is known for his work in World of Warcraft and Genshin Impact also, among other actors, shared his dislike and called it "garbage".
SAG AFTRA should be a union, tasked with representing actors and artists in the industry. But by making these decisions behind closed doors, they are losing the trust of those they should represent. Additionally, it seems that this deal was not made transparently, as many find it a big surprise.
What Could Happen Next?
The gaming industry's shift towards AI-driven voice generation, exemplified by games like Baldur's Gate 3, sparks concerns among voice actors. Some see the use of AI voice clones as evidence that studios prioritize profits over the well-being of human talent. While SAG AFTRA was supposed to stand on the actors side in this case, but failed to represent them in their most recent deal, we might see an even bigger opposition of voice actors now, more than ever.
Prominent gaming actors like Yuri Lowenthal and Roger Clark are actively speaking out against AI technology, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and preserving the unique qualities of human voices.
- Yuri Lowenthal is a very prominent voice actor in the games industry, mostly known for his role as Peter Parker in Spider-Man or most recently the Prince in Prince of Persia.
- Roger Clark is a beloved and famous actor, mostly known for his role as Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2, among others.
Friendly reminder that your favorite voice actors hate those "funny ai covers". Here's Roger Clark (voice of Arthur Morgan) talking about it. https://t.co/F1n7p0SIym pic.twitter.com/vR9IyYyThC
— Simmon (@simmon_c3) January 11, 2024