The AI Showdown: Video Game Performers Fight for Their Livelihoods

The video game industry is at a crossroads, as performers in the field find themselves embroiled in a high-stakes battle over the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on their careers. After six weeks of striking, these professionals are determined to protect their craft from being displaced by digital replicas, a battle that echoes the broader concerns faced by traditional Hollywood jobs in the face of technological advancements.

The Struggle for Creative Control and Fair Compensation

The Union's Stance: Protecting Against AI Encroachment

The ongoing strike led by SAG-AFTRA, the union representing approximately 2,600 video game performers, underscores their fears that AI technology could render their jobs obsolete. The union contends that the offer put forward by a group of major video game companies, including Activision Productions, WB Games, and Insomniac Games, contains numerous AI carve-outs that could potentially allow much of their members' work to be replaced.

The Companies' Perspective: Balancing Innovation and Fairness

In response, Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the group of video game companies, stated that under their AI proposal, they would be required to seek prior consent and pay performers fairly if they want to use a digital replica of an actor in a game. However, the union argues that this proposal falls short, as it only considers the use of a performer's performance for a single character, neglecting the common practice in the video game industry of combining multiple performers' work to create a single character.

The Unique Challenges of Video Game Performance

Video game performers contend that their industry differs significantly from film and television in terms of how their performances are utilized. Unlike traditional acting roles, video game characters are often the result of a composite performance, where various performers contribute their voices, movements, and on-camera presence to bring a character to life. This makes video game performers particularly vulnerable to the potential replacement by AI, as it is easier to replicate individual elements of their work rather than the entire on-camera presence.

The Lasting Impact of Last Year's Strikes

The current video game performers' strike is not the first time the industry has grappled with the implications of AI. Last year's actor and writers' strikes in Hollywood also centered around the issue, with the eventual deal securing informed consent for the use of actors' likenesses. However, some have argued that the agreement did not go far enough in protecting performers' rights.

Negotiations and the Looming Threat of AI

Negotiations over the Interactive Media Agreement between SAG-AFTRA and the major video game companies have been ongoing for nearly two years, with the workers voting to authorize a strike in 2023. While more than 50 companies have already made deals with the union, the largest players in the industry have yet to return to the bargaining table.

The Urgency of Addressing AI Concerns

SAG-AFTRA's chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, emphasizes the importance of addressing the AI issue now, rather than delaying it for the future. He warns that the challenge will only become more daunting, and that video game performers must be protected from the potential encroachment of AI on their livelihoods. The stakes are high, and the battle lines have been drawn, as the video game industry navigates the complex and rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.