Hollywood’s actors’ union ain’t too happy with Llama Productions, accusing them of using AI to replace actors in Fortnite. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) filed an unfair labor practice charge against Llama Productions, a subsidiary of Epic Games, for not playing nice with the union in the past six months. The union claims that the company made changes to employment terms without giving them a heads up, all thanks to those sneaky AI-generated voices taking over the work of actual actors.
In a move that’s sure to raise some eyebrows, SAG-AFTRA has gone ahead and called a strike against major game companies back in July. This decision came after more than a year of negotiations fell apart due to concerns surrounding the use of unregulated artificial intelligence in the industry. The union is adamant about protecting the rights of its members and their estates when it comes to controlling the use of their digital replicas. They’re not messing around when it comes to making sure that the work of their members, including those who brought Darth Vader’s iconic rhythm and tone to life in video games, isn’t replaced without a fight.
Epic Games, the big boss behind it all, hasn’t said a peep in response to the allegations. SAG-AFTRA is standing firm in their belief that bargaining terms and conditions around voice usage should be their call, not left to the mercy of AI taking over. It’s a battle of the digital age, where actors are fighting to keep their place in a world where technology threatens to take over. Not really sure why this matters, but it seems like the union isn’t backing down anytime soon. Maybe it’s just me, but it feels like this fight is far from over, and both sides are digging in their heels for the long haul.
