The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) announced on Thursday afternoon that its members who work in the video game industry are going on strike, starting immediately. The strike is a result of ongoing negotiations with major game companies, including Activision, Disney, EA, and WB Games, over a new Interactive Media Agreement.
SAG-AFTRA has been renegotiating this agreement since October 2022, seeking stronger protections for its members against the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in game development. The union believes that current agreements do not adequately safeguard actors from being replaced or exploited by AI technology.
“We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse AI to the detriment of our members. Enough is enough,” commented SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher.
SAG-AFTRA members voted to approve a strike last year, and the union now feels that a work stoppage is necessary to secure the desired changes in the contract. The union is specifically seeking “clear and enforceable language” that will prevent video game companies from using AI in ways that could harm actors’ livelihoods.
This work stoppage follows similar strikes that occurred in Hollywood last year, also driven by concerns over pay and AI’s impact on the industry.
The strike, which began at 12:01 a.m. on July 26th, affects actors who are members of SAG-AFTRA and are involved in game productions by the companies mentioned above. Actors can check their project status on SAG-AFTRA’s website to see if they are affected by the strike.
SAG-AFTRA has directly named Activision Productions, Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Llama Productions, Take 2 Productions, VoiceWorks Productions, and WB Games as the companies it is currently negotiating with. The strike will remain active until SAG-AFTRA successfully negotiates a new Interactive Media Agreement with these companies.
