After months of negotiation, the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has asked its members to withhold their services effective 12:01 am on July 26. According to the union, “AI protection remains the sticking point”.
SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland
The unanimous decision was taken by the counsel of the Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee and SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, “after more than a year and half of negotiations without a deal”.
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“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,” said Crabtree-Ireland.
“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.”
SAG-AFTRA listed the video game developers/publishers that it was negotiating with including WB Games, VoiceWorks, Take 2, Llama Insomniac Games, Formosa Interactive, Electronic Arts, Disney Character Voices, Blindlight, and Activision.
The union has introduced three new agreements that they say “offers critical AI protections for members”. Consequently, every game developer who wants to employ the services of SAG-AFTRA members is mandated to sign the new Tiered-Budget Independent Interactive Media Agreement, the Interim Interactive Media Agreement, or the Interim Interactive Localization Agreement.
SAG-AFTRA says developers are reluctant on AI protection
The union said the negotiations started way back in October 2022 and lasted until September 24, 2023, when SAG-AFTRA members approved the strike with over 98% yes votes. The union said although agreements have been reached on numerous issues pressing to its members, the main dispute has remained around AI protection.
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher
According to the union, “the employers refuse to plainly affirm, in clear and enforceable language, that they will protect all performers covered by this contract in their A.I. language”. SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said the union will no longer accept a contract that enables the abuse of AI.
“We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse A.I. to the detriment of our members,” Drescher said. “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,”
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Sarah Elmaleh, the Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee Chair blasted video game developers/publishers for being unreasonable, stressing that 18 months of negotiations has yielded nothing.
“Eighteen months of negotiations have shown us that our employers are not interested in fair, reasonable A.I. protections, but rather flagrant exploitation,” said Elmaleh. “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 to continuing to negotiate in good faith with this bargaining group when they are ready to join us in the world we all deserve.”
The spokesperson for the video game developers/publishers involved in the negotiation, Audrey Cooling, expressed disappointment that the union had chosen the path of strike. In a statement to Gamesindustry.biz, Cooling said the union walked away when they were close to a deal.
“We are disappointed the union has chosen to walk away when we are so close to a deal, and we remain prepared to resume negotiations,” Cooling said. “We have already found common ground on 24 out of 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety provisions.”
“Our offer is directly responsive to SAG-AFTRA’s concerns and extends meaningful AI protections that include requiring consent and fair compensation to all performers working under the IMA. These terms are among the strongest in the entertainment industry.”
