SAG-AFTRA Strikes Deal with AI Company Ethovox Amid Ongoing Video Game Voice Actor Strike

SAG-AFTRA's Agreement with Ethovox

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has signed an agreement with AI voice company Ethovox, aiming to safeguard performers' rights in the age of artificial intelligence 1

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. This deal is part of SAG-AFTRA's ongoing efforts to protect its members from potential exploitation by AI technologies.

Ethovox, co-founded by BAFTA award-winning actor Cissy Jones, offers a "fully-authenticated foundational AI model for voice" that provides the basis for digital replicas 1

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. The agreement ensures that performers will be protected and fairly compensated for their work, including both session fees and ongoing revenue sharing for the life of the foundational model 2

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Key Points of the Agreement

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA's chief negotiator, emphasized the importance of contractual protection in the AI era:

"What will safeguard voice actors' livelihoods in the AI age is more contractual protection, not less. That's why SAG-AFTRA will continue to recognize AI companies, like Ethovox, that agree with our union's AI guidelines." 1

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The agreement focuses on several crucial aspects:

1. Informed consent from performers
2. Fair compensation for AI voice work
3. Protection against unauthorized use of performers' voices

Ongoing Video Game Voice Actor Strike

While the Ethovox agreement marks a positive step, SAG-AFTRA continues its strike against major video game companies, which began in July 2023 3

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. The strike involves negotiations with employers including Activision Productions, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts Productions, and others 5

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The main point of contention is the use of AI in game development, particularly the potential for using actors' voices to train AI models without proper consent or compensation 3

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. SAG-AFTRA is seeking guarantees from developers that they won't use performers' voices for AI training without permission 3

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International Impact and Solidarity

The strike has garnered attention beyond the United States. In the UK, some video game actors have expressed a desire to strike in solidarity with their US counterparts 4

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. However, the UK actors' union Equity has not authorized its own strike, partly due to restrictive UK industrial relations legislation 1

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Industry Perspectives

The use of AI in voice acting has been met with skepticism by some performers. Jennifer Hale, known for her roles in Mass Effect and Metal Gear Solid, described AI as a potential threat to actors' identities 1

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Cissy Jones, co-founder of Ethovox, emphasized the importance of choice and ethical AI development:

"AI should be a choice. For that reason, we have reached out to the voice actor community throughout this process. Ethovox will continue to do so as we demonstrate that artists can, and should, be compensated for contributing to ethical AI development while also maintaining consent and control over their voice data." 1

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Future Negotiations

While the strike continues, there are signs of progress. SAG-AFTRA announced that negotiations with video game companies resumed on October 23, 2023, after nearly a year-long hiatus 2

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. The union remains committed to securing fair terms for its members in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and voice technology in the gaming industry.