SAG-AFTRA reaches deal on AI voice acting in video games

[MidnightDragon]

SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents TV and film actors and animation voice actors and also represents many video game voice actors, has been negotiating a new contract with a group of gaming companies for some time. They had previously gone on strike against them in 2016-2017 before a deal was reached and the deal has been extended several times. One of the things they were seeking was protections from AI use, like they were ultimately granted for their TV and movie deals. However, SAG-AFTRA shocked everyone by announcing a deal that allows AI acting in games.

 

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/01/anger-as-sag-aftra-strikes-deal-for-ai-voice-acting-in-video-games

 

Now, I'm no expert, but that really sounds like the opposite of what their members were calling for. Naturally, there has been a lot of outrage and confusion about it on social media. SAG-AFTRA claims this is separate from the ongoing negotiations with the game companies, but still doesn't seem like a good look. Especially when they claimed members approved of it and quite a few have called bullshit on that.

Edited January 11 by MidnightDragon

[LukeTheGooner]

the AI approved of it

[MidnightDragon]

9 minutes ago, LukeTheGooner said:

the AI approved of it

Something like this? 

 

 

[LukeTheGooner]

3 minutes ago, MidnightDragon said:

Something like this? 

 

 

 

I sometimes fail those I am not a robot verifications, I never know If I need to click on a square that has a a tiny part of a lampost in or whatever it's asking

[Don_Chipotle]

Its a complex topic, but many old school gamers sometimes complain that games sometimes feel the same, and maybe yes, because, in design and many stuff is the same in coding and programming, as well as the engine used, so yeah, you maybe are playing a thing with similar content, and its not a bad thing if the product offers quality in the end, but now maybe we are going deeper in that aspect, with voices using the same tone, words, slang, or many stuff that people will go "this feels generic", because actually it is.

 

Maybe in the future brands and companies will have AI tools as options, maybe when you buy a AAA  game maybe you are paying the price for the content of actual people, but i think in reality brands will use AI and still charge what usually cost and even more. 

[SoliDeoGloriaIHS]

Y'know....they warned us all about the robots and AI way back in the 80s in movies like Terminator and such.  While it remains to be seen if we ever have to deal with a deadly robot apocalypse, it seems clear to me they will be taking all of our jobs.  This is just the beginning. 

Edited January 11 by SoliDeoGloriaIHS

[shadaik]

I mean, in gaming it's basically inevitable. Tools that sync lips to any given audio are already out, tools that do the opposite well enough will be out soon enough. An AI tool capable of dynamically reacting and voicing dialogue on the fly will surpass pre-recorded lines by voice actors by simply being leagues superior in an interactive medium like this.

Much like games don't have cameramen, voice actors are also going to be a niche thing at best.

[majob]

Sounds like the guild is doing an optional contract for an actor to give permission to use their voice in AI and I'm assuming with caveats that a studio has to give them royalties or something. This deal sounds like it's only as good for as many people opt into it.

[SelectiveGamer]

Yay the end of gaming and entertainment in general as I go insane because they want crappy AI that's been shown to be clearly unproven literally takes over everything since that's clearly what big business wants.

 

I guess I'll just check myself into an insane asylum with no entertainment anymore.

 

I hate this year already

 

Bye everyone I'm going to my insane asylum now

 

😵‍💫

[Rebourne07]

I don't mind it for joe shmoe NPCs, and it wouldn't work well enough to even try to have main characters do it, so feels ok to me. 

 

I'm playing Skyrim again right now, and the amount of times I hear "Never should have come here" honestly makes me really wish there was an AI that'd generate some unique lines based on context. 

[MidnightDragon]

10 hours ago, majob said:

Sounds like the guild is doing an optional contract for an actor to give permission to use their voice in AI and I'm assuming with caveats that a studio has to give them royalties or something. This deal sounds like it's only as good for as many people opt into it.

Yea, but judging from the reaction online, most are gonna say no.

[Phlegeth]

15 hours ago, SoliDeoGloriaIHS said:

Y'know....they warned us all about the robots and AI way back in the 80s in movies like Terminator and such.  While it remains to be seen if we ever have to deal with a deadly robot apocalypse, it seems clear to me they will be taking all of our jobs.  This is just the beginning. 

 

It's like that meme.

 

Sci-fi Arthur:  In my book I invented the Torment Nexus as a cautionary tale.

 

Scientist:  At long last, we have invented the Torment Nexus from the classic sci-fi novel Don't Built the Torment Nexus.