SAG-AFTRA Calls Out Fortnite Over Darth Vader AI Voice
- Reference: 0177648387
- News link: https://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/25/05/19/2245207/sag-aftra-calls-out-fortnite-over-darth-vader-ai-voice
- Source link:
> The union has now filed an unfair labor practice charge (link to the PDF is on the [2]SAG-AFTRA website ) that calls out "Fortnite's signatory company, Llama Productions" for "[replacing] the work of human performers with AI technology" without "providing any notice of their intent to do this and without bargaining with us over appropriate terms."
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> The union notes that it's not against the general idea here: "We celebrate the right of our members and their estates to control the use of their digital replicas and welcome the use of new technologies to allow new generations to share in the enjoyment of those legacies and renowned roles." The problem is that the AI being used here makes human voice actors obsolete, and "we must protect our right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our members, including those who previously did the work of matching Darth Vader's iconic rhythm and tone in video games."
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> So far there's been no response from Epic Games on the filing. [3]The Hollywood Reporter notes that despite the SAG-AFTRA's still-ongoing [4]Interactive Media Agreement strike , which has been stuck for months on negotiating "AI protections for voice actors in video games," actors can actually work on Fortnite without violating the strike, since the game falls under an exception for titles that were in production before August 2023.
[1] https://gizmodo.com/fortnite-ai-darth-vader-sag-aftra-dispute-2000604222
[2] https://www.sagaftra.org/sag-aftra-statement-fortnites-use-ai-darth-vader-voice-and-ulp-filing
[3] https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/sag-aftra-labor-charge-fortnite-darth-vader-ai-voice-1236221492/
[4] https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/sag-aftra-video-game-strike-sides-far-apart-union-says-1236161712/
I get JEJ suing, the union is a stretch (Score:3)
If you're replicating someone's work with AI, then you should pay them.
But the idea that the union can force companies to pay voice actors in general instead of AI is BS. You don't have a right to be hired because you're in a union.
Re: (Score:2)
> If you're replicating someone's work with AI, then you should pay them.
JEJ is dead, and he already got paid for this. Before he died he was paid to license his voice for AI reproduction for exactly this scenario. The odd part here is the union thinking they deserve a cut of the money for someone who is no longer an active member.
Like defending a sandcastle from the tide. (Score:2)
This really all depends on what contractual agreements that Epic Games has had with SAG-AFTRA's membership. However, if they have had none then SAG-AFTRA is grasping at straws.
I understand SAG-AFTRA's plight but even if they win this battle, they will lose the war, not by any fault of their own but merely by the fact that machines are cheaper.
Re: (Score:2)
> Like defending a sandcastle from the tide
You are surely speaking of copyright itself.
Defending sandcastles is what a lot of laws do.
How are SAG-AFTRA involved? (Score:1)
I'm guessing his membership has probably elapsed now. And I would be commending SAG-AFTRA had they chased down a company using a voice without paying anything to the estate of the deceased. But an agreement was made direct with the estate. Now, either the estate has an agreement with SAG-AFTRA, which they have broken and should be sued direct, or could this just be SAG-AFTRA wanting money for something they are not involved with at all?
More to do with Voice Actors still alive .. (Score:2)
Putting aside the absurd decadence of paying people who 'play pretend' for a living enough money to feed the hungry, this looks like a test case for their existing union members who'll be worried about getting ripped off by AI.
What's their logic here? (Score:2)
From what I've seen, it's an LLM with a Darth Vader text to speech on top of it that players can interact with by voice. Are they arguing that they could provide a hundred thousand Darth Vader voice impersonators to interact with players real-time? Or is it a more generic "there is a voice there, give us money now" sort of thing?
Re: (Score:3)
The voice is James Earl Jones, and he did license his voice for use with AI before he died.
However, even though all that is in place, he was a SAG member, and there are certain agreements in use of that voice, AI generated or not. In addition, SAG members are on strike from providing voice work with video game companies.
Basically it boils down to determining if the AI voice of James Earl Jones is being used in contravention to his SAG membership - as in is it still technically a SAG voice work and being use
it's their job to negotiate that, (Score:2)
so their position is understandable. They are fighting a losing battle anyway - in the long term, AI-Voices won't try to replicate a human actor - nothing more to negotiate.
SAG-AFTRA (Score:2)
We can't expect to advance as a civilization if people keep thinking they have the right to demand they be hired to do work that can be done by something or someone else. If horse carriage drivers had the right to transportation work, we would never have gotten trains or card. You don't have more right to a job than someone else and especially you don't have the right to prevent someone from using a machine to do a particular job.
Petition to the judge (Score:2, Insightful)
SAG-AFTRA is effectively suing to try and get a job of a couple of lines.
The defendant however is Epic games and this is about Fortnite
Is it possible the judge could find both parties at fault and just fine them both into oblivion? :-) If not, which pig in the muck pen are you rooting for?
Re: (Score:3)
The details of this particular action are incidental. The specifics, the duration, and the value don't matter.
What they are doing - and probably must do to remain relevant - is block the creation of precedent.