SAG-AFTRA's K/D ratio is flexed metaphorically 3 months after the voice acting strike against AI: "More than 100 games from 49 companies are now signed"

SAG-AFTRA - a union that represents over 160,000 actors in the entertainment industry (notice: this includes videogames) - declared a strike in March over AI. They stated that "employers refused to affirm in a clear and enforceable manner that they would protect all performers covered under this contract with their AI language."

Sarah Elmaleh was an actor and union negotiator at the time. She said that "eighteen-months of negotiations have shown that our employers do not care about fair, reasonable AI protections but rather flagrant abuse".

The union shared some good news on its website this week. "On the eve before the scheduled resumption, SAG-AFTRA announced that more than a hundred games from 49 companies had signed the union's tiered-budget agreements or interim agreements.

"These contracts contain the same A.I. protections that SAG-AFTRA members are asking for in the Interactive Media Agreement--demonstrating that the provisions are fair and achievable, and providing employment opportunities to members during the work stoppage."

Elameh made a statement that was included in the update. "Humane protections of actors against AI exploitation is not an unreasonable request--and the successes of these contracts show that most companies are on board." They are willing to accept ethical and fundamental guidelines for this tool, along with a fair accommodation of it, in order to collaborate professionally with professional talent. Talent is also eager to partner with companies who respect them."

AI is not popular amongst those who do the work that these models are supposed to replace.

Amelia Tyler, the narrator of Baldur's Gate 3, who has produced some of the best recent work in the industry, expressed her disgust at the situation back in April. "I went onto this stream because someone gave me a head's up, and I heard my voice reading rape Porn," she said, adding that technology was "stealing my job, but also my identity".

As for today, some actors have taken to Twitter to celebrate a slow and steady win. Kit Harrison, a gamer who has worked on games such as Genshin Impact SMITE and Baldur's gate 3, writes that "turning down game opportunities while the strike was going on hurt a lot." As [SAG-AFTRA] enters negotiations with so many projects already signed up to the new contract, I hope my voice will be enough among the many.

I'm happy to hear it myself. I don't think I've heard a single piece of AI voice acting I've actually been charmed by or moved by, but that's beside the point--this technology's ability to defer its theft-with-more-steps has led to some truly ghoulish behaviour, like putting three imaginary zoomers on the radio with the resurrected voice of a dead nobel prize winner, or deepfaking voice actors into NSFW mods without their consent. The law will take its time to catch up and stop exploitation. In the meantime, I'm happy that the people who give character and life into our games have a voice.