SAG-AFTRA Videogame Strike Now in Effect Due to AI Concerns, Potentially Leading to Game Delays

Yesterday, SAG-AFTRA announced that its members have voted on a videogame strike after over a year and a half of negotiations with game developers and publishers.

24 of the 25 sticking points have been agreed upon. However, the remaining point is a big one: AI. SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher said in a statement:

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We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse A.I. to the detriment of our members. Enough is enough. When these companies get serious about offering an agreement our members can live — and work — with, we will be here, ready to negotiate.

National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland stated:

The video game industry generates billions of dollars in profit annually. The driving force behind that success is the creative people who design and create those games. That includes the SAG-AFTRA members who bring memorable and beloved game characters to life, and they deserve and demand the same fundamental protections as performers in film, television, streaming, and music: fair compensation and the right of informed consent for the A.I. use of their faces, voices, and bodies. Frankly, it’s stunning that these video game studios haven’t learned anything from the lessons of last year - that our members can and will stand up and demand fair and equitable treatment with respect to A.I., and the public supports us in that.

Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee Chair Sarah Elmaleh added:

Eighteen months of negotiations have shown us that our employers are not interested in fair, reasonable A.I. protections, but rather flagrant exploitation. We refuse this paradigm – we will not leave any of our members behind, nor will we wait for sufficient protection any longer. We look forward to collaborating with teams on our Interim and Independent contracts, which provide A.I. transparency, consent and compensation to all performers, and