The US Actors Guild SAG-AFTRA could not peacefully agree on working conditions with the video game companies it collaborates with. Now, it will defend its demands through a strike. The first protests will begin today, July 26.
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In an official statement, the Guild explained that the sticking point was artificial intelligence. The gaming companies refused to limit the use of technologies capable of creating digital voice copies of actors.
During the strike, Guild members will not participate in work on games from the following companies: Activision Productions Inc., Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc., Electronic Arts Productions Inc., Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc., Llama Productions LLC, Take 2 Productions Inc., VoiceWorks Productions Inc., and WB Games Inc.
A representative of the gaming companies, Audrey Cooling, told the media that developers are disappointed with the Guild’s decision. The parties agreed on 24 out of 25 points, including a "historic" pay raise and enhanced safety measures. The only disagreement was regarding AI.