(Los Angeles) After more than a month of strike action, video game performers have reached agreements with 80 games that have signed interim or phased budget agreements with the performers’ union and accepted the artificial intelligence (AI) provisions they have been demanding.
Members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) went on strike in July after negotiations with the video game industry giants, which began more than a year and a half ago, were disrupted over protections against artificial intelligence.
Union leaders say the voices of game actors and motion capture artists could be reproduced by AI and used without their consent and fair compensation.
SAG-AFTRA announced Thursday that it has reached agreements with the 80 affected video game companies. Performers affected by the work stoppage can now work on those projects.
The strike against other major video game publishers, including Disney and Warner Bros. game companies and Electronic Arts Productions Inc., will continue.
The tentative deal includes pay improvements, protections against “misuse” of artificial intelligence and safety measures that take into account physical and vocal performance.
The staggered budget agreement is intended to allow independent game developers or low-budget projects to work with unionized performers, while still providing them with the protections provided by the interim agreement.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA national director and chief negotiator, said in a statement that companies signing these agreements “are helping to preserve the human artistry, ingenuity and creativity that fuel interactive storytelling.”
“These agreements indicate that the video game companies in the collective bargaining group do not represent the will of the entire video game industry,” Crabtree-Ireland continued. “The many companies that are happy to accept our terms on AI prove that these terms are not only reasonable, but achievable and sustainable for businesses.”
The union announced Wednesday that game development studio Lightspeed LA has agreed to produce current and future games, including the popular title “Last Sentinel,” under the union’s interim agreement, meaning it can also work with union performers for the duration of the strike.