Unionized video game voice actors strike over AI concerns

Unionized video game voice actors strike over generative AI concerns after failed negotiations with major publishers like Activision and Disney.

: Unionized video game voice actors have begun a strike over the use of generative AI following unsuccessful negotiations with major publishers. This strike follows a similar move by film and TV actors in 2023, who secured protections against AI. The union's interim contracts offer AI-related protections for developers hiring unionized actors. Recent unionization efforts show growing support, with Microsoft recognizing new unions at studios like Bethesda and Blizzard.

Unionized video game voice actors initiated a strike on Friday due to failed negotiations concerning the use of generative AI with game publishers such as Activision, Disney, Electronic Arts, and Warner Bros. This action comes after last year's successful strike by television and movie actors that secured protections against AI usage in their media.

The concerns stem from the fear that companies might reproduce actors' voices without consent, compensation, or knowledge. Some actors have reported coercion into signing contracts that allowed AI to replicate their voices, heightening these concerns, especially for those new to the industry.

Despite almost unanimous authorization for the strike last September, discussions over the past year and a half have yielded no acceptable agreement. In parallel, the industry's unionization efforts have been robust, with recent successful formations of groups among Microsoft employees at Bethesda and Blizzard, continuing a trend from 2022.

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