Given the union’s recent battle against artificial intelligence, the most recent SAG AFTRA AI deal has caused controversy and raised concerns about the video game industry. The goal of this partnership is to use artificial intelligence to digitally replicate actors’ voice acting for video games. The disclosure made at the CES, or Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas is a big step in the right direction for the entertainment sector’s technological integration.
The gifted voices have responded to the arrival of AI-generated sound replicas in different ways. Although the deal creates new opportunities, a few SAG AFTRA actors expressed concerns on social media. We’ll also discuss the union’s prior experiences with AI as we delve into the specifics of this revolutionary partnership, considering the 2023 strike as well as drawing comparisons with earlier agreements in the film industry. Let’s examine every detail of the SAG AFTRA artificial intelligence (AI) agreement.
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Specifics of the SAG-AFTRA AI contract
Actors’ union SAG AFTRA announced today a significant partnership with Replica Studios, a tech startup. Together, they will use artificial intelligence (AI) to create digital voice actors for video games. At CES 2024 in Las Vegas, union president Duncan Crabtree-Ireland gave an explanation of the SAG AFTRA AI agreement. As per his statement, the guidelines encompass obtaining consent for utilising AI voices and guaranteeing the security of digital copies.
Making artificial intelligence work for actors rather than against them is the goal of the SAG AFTRA AI agreement. Rather than impeding advancement, Crabtree-Ireland hopes to use new technology to the benefit of performers.
Video game strike SAG AFTRA
AI is a problem that SAG AFTRA has previously dealt with. There was a major strike in 2023. AI face-meshing was a topic of discussion between the union and big film studios. However, the agreement did not stop studios from using AI to create completely phoney actors.
There is currently another round of negotiations with major video game companies, and another strike is possible. The idea of AI mimicking their voices without any guidelines bothers some actors. The terms of the current negotiations are comparable to those of the Hollywood deal, including restrictions on payment, security, openness, and the amount of time that a voice copy can be used without the performer’s consent.
SAG AFTRA: What is it?
2012 saw the merger of SAG and AFTRA to form the formidable union known as SAG AFTRA. They are a global representation of about 160,000 media professionals. The union is a member of both the FIA (International Federation of Actor sand the largest union organization in the United States, the AFL-CIO. The protection of media workers’ rights and interests is their primary responsibility.
A leader of SAG AFTRA?
Fran Drescher is in charge of SAG AFTRA. She is a well-known American comedian and actress who created and produced the television series “The Nanny.” Actor Drescher is leading SAG AFTRA through the difficulties presented by the entertainment industry and emerging technology as national president of the union.
It’s evident that the union is leading the way. The way the actors as well as artificial intelligence dance together demonstrates how the business is taking new turns. SAG-AFTRA’s journey serves as a reminder of the significance of striking a balance between technology along with the age-old craft of storytelling, with its exciting potential and the imperative to safeguard artistic expression.
Actors can now license digital voice replicas thanks to a deal signed by SAG-AFTRA and AI.
A major factor in the recently concluded Hollywood strike was the rapidly evolving field of AI technology. A new agreement makes a significant, targeted contribution to the discussion.
The world’s largest labor union for performers, SAG-AFTRA, announced at CES 2024 on Tuesday that it has reached a contract with Replica Studios, a provider of artificial intelligence voice technology.
Video game developers will be able to license union members’ voices digitally through this agreement.
The capacity of AI to mimic well-known voices has generated controversy as it continues to permeate more facets of daily life. Heart on My Sleeve is a song that was released in 2023 by an artist going by the name Ghostwriter. It mimics the voices of Drake and The Weekend through the use of generative AI, though it doesn’t seem like either of those celebrities had any involvement. Ghostwriter stated at the moment that he thought artists should profit monetarily if AI replicates their unique voices. That song generated discussion about whether or not it should be considered for a Grammy Award.
However, this marks the first time that an organization like SAG-AFTRA has made an effort to formalize payment and consent in relation to the use of AI that mimic performer voices.
The Hollywood strike and AI
AI played a significant role during the union’s 2023 walkout alongside writers who were already on strike in July 2023 towards the Association of Motion Picture as well as Television Producers. In the ninety-year history of the union, this movie as well as television strike was the longest, lasting until November. Consequently, it is now mandatory for studios to get permission from actors and compensate them for using their AI-generated image.
Actor and union president Fran Drescher said in a statement on Tuesday that “artificial intelligence has taken over the headlines, and for most entertainers, the best security against the unauthorized digital recreation that mimics their voice, resemblance and/or effectiveness is a SAG-AFTRA agreement,” AFFTRA boasts more than 160,000 members.
SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator and national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland stated the union has been working on AI issues for nearly ten years at a press conference during CES in Las Vegas. Shreyas Nivas, CEO of Replica Studios, who signed the contract with Crabtree-Ireland during the press conference, described it as “groundbreaking” in a LinkedIn post.
“This partnership will allow voice actors to safely explore new opportunities for their digital voice replicas while establishing protections around consent, contracts and compensation,” Nivas stated. It also specifies requirements for the secure storage of these digital assets.
Reversal of the studios’ AI
SAG-AFTRA attorney Jeffrey Bennett stated in a podcast that the studios had previously stated they did not require performers’ permission to use AI to replicate their voices.
“Before we started negotiating these terms, the position of the studios was [that] they did not need consent to create replicas,” Bennett explained. We have completely turned that story on its head if you compare the stance, they took in the beginning of 2023 to the one we currently have with these agreements and some upcoming legislation. They now understand that they need permission to do this.”
Although this particular agreement relates only to video games, Crabtree-Ireland stated that other agreements pertaining to vocal performance—such as those in music and TV commercials—may be reached.
In response to a question from a reporter, Crabtree-Ireland stated that the contentious use of actor voices to train big models of language is not covered by the agreement. Renowned authors like George R.R. Martin, the author of Game of Thrones, have criticized this training. He and other writers have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, the artificial intelligence startup, alleging that they were used to train the AI system that powers ChatGPT, a popular generative AI chatbot.
According to Crabtree-Ireland, there is no evidence why the families of deceased performers couldn’t consent to the new licensing arrangement allowing for the use of their voices.
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