SAG-AFTRA Strikes Groundbreaking Agreement with AI Voice Tech Company, Replica Studios
Summary:
SAG-AFTRA, representing 150,000 film and TV professionals, has sealed a deal with AI voice tech firm, Replica Studios, allowing it to develop and license actors' digital voice replicas for use in video games and interactive media. Despite objections from some members, the deal supports fair and ethical use, granting performers the right to negotiate with the AI company and opt out of projects. This follows another major deal made with film studios in November 2023 involving the use of performers' AI replicas.
The union that represents 150,000 movie and TV industry professionals, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), has struck a deal with Replica Studios, an artificial intelligence (AI) voice technology company. SAG-AFTRA revealed this first-of-its-kind agreement about AI voices' usage in computer games on January 9. This pact will allow Replica Studios to develop and license digital imitations of the voices of actors shielded by SAG-AFTRA under “fair and ethical” principles. The authorized voices could be utilized in top-tier videogames and “other interactive media projects,” all the way from its inception to its final deployment.
Related: Fox Corp launches Polygon-based blockchain platform to address AI firms’ use of contentIn addition to “minimum terms and conditions,” the deal grants the performers the authority to agree and bargain ethical terms with the AI firm, with an alternative to renounce of “continued use” of their voices in “new projects.” SAG-AFTRA’s National Executive director and Chief Negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, expressed optimism that the union met all its objectives in the negotiation: “With this agreement, we have attained fully informed consent and fair remuneration with respect to the usage of our members’ voices and performances.”
Nonetheless, not all are welcoming the deal within the actors’ society and SAG-AFTRA's own membership, with many voicing their preference to physically act out scenes as opposed to merely contributing their voice samples. Further objections point to the lack of clarity within the SAG-AFTRA press notice and an absence of voting during union-scale approval of the agreement.
Another similar deal between SAG-AFTRA and major film studios was reached in November 2023 relating to AI, where an agreement was made on protocols for creating, using, and modifying “digital replicas” of performers. The agreement included stipulations for payment towards creating and using these AI replications in any further projects or other media. This deal, too, garnered a mixed response from the actors' community even though it was passed by an 86% vote within SAG-AFTRA. The Writer’s Guild of America also concluded a strike in September where a deal was reached, limiting studios' power to make screenwriters resort to AI usage.
Magazine: ‘AI has crushed the sector’: EasyTranslate chief about adapting to innovation.
Published At
1/10/2024 11:52:18 AM
Disclaimer: Algoine does not endorse any content or product on this page. Readers should conduct their own research before taking any actions related to the asset, company, or any information in this article and assume full responsibility for their decisions. This article should not be considered as investment advice. Our news is prepared with AI support.
Do you suspect this content may be misleading, incomplete, or inappropriate in any way, requiring modification or removal?
We appreciate your report.