Video Game Actors End Strike After Securing AI Safeguards

Video game performers ended their year-long strike after SAG-AFTRA members ratified a new contract that protects their work from artificial intelligence misuse.

The AP reports that the vote involved 2,500 union members who supported the deal at a 95% rate for major companies: Activision, Electronic Arts, and Disney.

At the heart of the strike was a disagreement over the use of AI replication of actor performances, particularly motion capture work, which companies treated as “data” instead of creative work, as noted by the BBC.

The new contract now requires employers to obtain written consent before making digital replicas of performers, both during their lifetime and after death, unless specific posthumous use is permitted. Additionally, the new agreement requires performers to be compensated for time spent creating replicas, and will receive a detailed report about the usage of their likenesses, as reported by the AP.

SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said the contract includes “meaningful gains and important AI protections,” as reported by the AP. Audrey Cooling, spokesperson for the game companies, called the agreement “historic,” citing “industry-leading AI protections” and “enhanced health and safety measures,” as reported by the BBC.

Voice actor Ashly Burch, known for roles in Life is Strange and Horizon Zero Dawn, supported the strike. “We just don’t want to be replaced,” she told the BBC, emphasizing the need for “consent, transparency, and compensation.”

While some performers continued work under interim deals during the strike, many faced financial strain. BBC reports that Actor Ray Chase noted the heavy toll on motion capture artists: “If you came out to Los Angeles to be a motion capture actor, then your entire existence is being threatened by AI.”

With a 15% pay raise upon ratification and annual increases over three years, the contract marks a significant step in protecting performers’ rights in the AI age. As one actor put it to the BBC, “We’re just so happy that we’ve found a peaceful resolution, for sure.”