SAG-AFTRA Strikes Again: Actors Picket Disney Character Voices Over AI Concerns

In July 2024, under Duncan Crabtree-Ireland’s leadership, SAG-AFTRA launched a strike against several key players in the video game industry, such as Activision, Electronic Arts, and Disney Character Voices, following over eighteen months of stalled negotiations. The crux of the dispute centers around the protection of performance rights in the face of advancing AI technology that can replicate human features for in-game characters without ongoing compensation or consent from the original actors.

Who: The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), led by National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.

What: SAG-AFTRA is staging its second picket as part of an ongoing strike against major video game industry players over the use of artificial intelligence in gaming.

When: The picket is scheduled for tomorrow, August 15, from 9 AM to 12 PM.

Where: Disney Character Voices in Burbank, California.

Why: The union is protesting against the inadequate protections against the unconsented use of AI to mimic members’ voices and movements within the video game industry.

The strike was catalyzed by a nearly unanimous vote from SAG-AFTRA members, reflecting widespread discontent with the industry’s response to their concerns about AI usage. This action highlights a significant evolution in labor strikes, where traditional grievances over pay and working conditions are now expanding to include digital rights and identity protections in the digital age.

This second picket underscores the union’s determination to secure explicit and enforceable agreements that safeguard their members from potential exploitation through AI technologies. The ongoing actions are part of broader negotiations which began back in October 2022, emphasizing the urgency with which the performing community views the ethical implications of AI in their profession.

The focus on Disney Character Voices as a picket site is particularly poignant, given the studio’s influential role in the industry and its significant use of voice acting talent. The outcome of these negotiations could set a precedent for how performers’ rights are treated in the rapidly evolving digital landscape, making this a critical juncture for actors in the gaming world and beyond.