SAG-AFTRA signed a deal Tuesday with an AI voiceover studio that sets terms for the use of artificial intelligence in video games.
The union announced the deal with Replica Studios on Tuesday at CES in Las Vegas. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union's chief executive, said the conditions include informed consent for the use of AI to create digital voice replicas, as well as requirements for the secure storage of digital assets.
At a press conference, Crabtree-Ireland said the union wanted to channel new technologies to benefit artists – rather than trying to stand in their way.
“These are the terms that producers can agree to without affecting their ability to create content,” Crabtree-Ireland said. “This is an evolutionary step forward. We cannot block AI technology. We can't stop this. This is not a tactic or strategy that has ever worked for workers in the past.”
AI was a big issue in the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. The union ultimately reached an agreement with major studios – represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers – to set consent and compensation requirements for the use of AI to recreate actors' images determined. The deal didn't stop studios from training AI systems to create “synthetic” actors who bear no resemblance to real actors.
SAG-AFTRA is currently in similar negotiations with a coalition of major video game studios. The union has received permission to strike, but talks are ongoing.
Crabtree-Ireland said an agreement with Replica Studios could help advance these discussions.
“I hope the video game companies use this as inspiration to move us forward in these negotiations,” he said. “I hope we can reach an agreement with the video game studios soon.”
Replica Studios launched its AI platform in 2019. The company sells AI voices from its library of “ethically licensed” voices to video game developers. Last year, the company announced a new version of “Smart NPCs” – non-playable characters – that could use OpenAI or other language models to interact with video game players.
Shreyas Nivas, CEO of Replica Studios, said at the press conference that the company has been working on standardizing contract language for AI voice licenses for years.
Crabtree-Ireland said the agreement will open up new employment opportunities for voice actors who want to license their voices for use in video games.
The deal covers only “digital recreations” – the use of AI to recreate the voice of a real artist, living or dead. It does not apply to AI training to create synthetic performance.
In December, SAG-AFTRA members voted 78% to ratify the contract with the AMPTP. Opposition focused on AI regulations, which critics said did not go far enough to protect actors from losing their livelihoods due to AI replicas.
Crabtree-Ireland highlighted the provision for secure storage of language resources in the Replica agreement, which was not included in the agreement with AMPTP.
“This is the type of thing we will develop over time,” he said.