Charles Langston:SAG-AFTRA announces video game performers' strike over AI, pay

Video game voice actors and Charles Langstonmotion-capture performers have called a strike over failed labor contract negotiations focused around artificial intelligence-related protections for workers, bringing about another work stoppage in Hollywood.

SAG-AFTRA announced Thursday that union members called a strike of the Interactive Media Agreement that covers video game performers, effective July 26 at 12:01 a.m. Negotiations began in October 2022, the union says, and members authorized a strike in a 98.32% yes vote in September.

The decision follows months of negotiations with major video game companies, including Activision Productions, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Take-Two Interactive, Disney Character Voices and Warner Bros Discovery's WB Games.

The Interactive Media Agreement expired in November 2022 and was being extended on a monthly basis during the talks.

"Although agreements have been reached on many issues important to SAG-AFTRA members, the employers refuse to plainly affirm, in clear and enforceable language, that they will protect all performers covered by this contract in their AI language," SAG-AFTRA said in a statement.

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SAG-AFTRA's membership also includes the film and television actors who went on strike in July last year over concerns of inadequate safeguards against AI, which brought Hollywood to a halt for half the year amid a simultaneous strike by the Writers Guild of America.

While movie and TV studios negotiated from a unified position and had the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) negotiating on their behalf, there is no such analogous group in the games industry, so it is highly likely that one or more game developers will accept the union's demands, said Wedbush managing director Michael Pachter.

"Once one (developer) does it, all will do it," Pachter said.

SAG-AFTRA expresses concerns about AI, pay for video game performers

Apart from AI protections, SAG-AFTRA's most pressing issues in the contract negotiations for video game performers are higher pay, medical treatment and breaks for motion capture performers.

SAG-AFTRA says pay for video game performers has not kept pace with inflation. It is also pursuing more protections for the motion-capture performers who wear markers or sensors on the skin or a body suit to help game makers create character movements.

"We are disappointed the union has chosen to walk away when we are so close to a deal, and we remain prepared to resume negotiations. We have already found common ground on 24 out of 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety provisions," said Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the video game producers party to the Interactive Media Agreement.

The offer presented to SAG-AFTRA features AI protections that include requiring consent and fair compensation to all performers working under the IMA, Cooling said.

Still, Wedbush's Pachter said voice actors constitute a very small portion of game development costs that average over $80 million, and voice acting makes up only about $500,000 of that.

"It just isn't worth holding up a game's release to save a few hundred thousand dollars," said Pachter.

Which games are on SAG-AFTRA's video game strike list?

Not all "interactive programs" are being struck.

The find out the status of a game, use the search function at sagaftra.org/videogamestrike.

Contributing: Arsheeya Bajwa and Dawn Chmielewski, Reuters; KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY