Talent from Britain supports US action against AI

Some video game actors from Britain have said they would like to strike in solidarity with their American counterparts.

Voice actors affiliated with the SAG-Aftra union have refused to work with companies such as Activision, Disney, Warner Bros and EA since July over issues such as the use of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI).

The two sides are back at the negotiating table, but there has been no major breakthrough and the talks have been extended.

While the impact on gamers has been limited so far, partly due to the time it takes to make blockbuster games, it has had an impact on voice talent in Britain.

Those who play the popular action role-playing game Genshin Impact may have noticed the absence of English voice acting in the latest story update.

It’s the first game that fans suspect has been affected by the ongoing strikes by video game voice actors.

The creators, miHoYo, only noted that it had to do with “recording arrangements”.

Voiceover actor Doug Cockle, best known for his role as Geralt of Rivia in the series The Witcher, says he supports the strikes but is not a member of SAG-Aftra because he lives in Britain.

“Some studios have stopped making their games, so the voiceover industry has completely slowed down,” he tells BBC Newsbeat.

“The actors in SAG-Aftra don’t just stand out for themselves. They stand out for the creative industry [across the world].

“If they can get a good deal, that could be an example for other sectors.”

It’s something Harry McEntire, who you may recognize as Noah in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, agrees with.

‘I think it’s so fantastic that the [actors in] the US is doing what it is doing at the moment,” he says.

“As with many things, the way the US does it, the same goes for everywhere else.

“If they can get those things in place, it could become the industry standard, not just in the US.”

Harry added that frustrated actors in Britain were unable to strike in solidarity because “there is no legal support for it”.

SAG-Aftra and ten gaming companies are struggling to agree on how Gen AI should be used in games in the future, especially when it comes to voice generation.

Gen AI systems, whether designed to produce text, images or audio, do not create anything from scratch, but are trained on existing material.

These can be words, images and, in the case of actors, performances.

The games industry has struggled around the world, with many losing their jobs even as games get bigger.

Some studios see AI as a way to cut costs, which has the potential for fewer human voice actors.

“I don’t really understand why you would use AI for creativity,” says Harry.

“Why would we want to take something that is so inherently human and about inspiration, genius and collective energy and say, ‘let’s see if we can put that through a computer program?’”

Alex Jordan, who is part of the Cyberpunk 2077 games, believes that if Gen AI becomes the norm, it could have a negative impact in the longer term.

“I think if we don’t take solid action soon, we’ll see a kind of void of creativity further down the line.

“We’re going to have to work very hard to correct that.”

Video game companies involved in the negotiations previously told Newsbeat that they have “worked hard to make proposals on reasonable terms.”

“That protects the rights of artists while ensuring we can continue to use the most advanced technology to create a great gaming experience for fans,” said spokesperson Audrey Cooling.

“The robust AI protections we have offered are fully consistent with or better than other entertainment industry agreements the union has signed.”

Alex says he supports the SAG-Aftra strikers and is in regular contact with the union.

He also says he won’t help promote a new game, out of solidarity with his high-profile colleagues in America.

Alex says he’s frustrated because the strikes haven’t been resolved yet.

“Unless we can go further, this will hurt those at the bottom of the ladder.”

Harry, Alex and Doug spoke at Comic Con in London – where more than 100,000 fans came to dress up, play new games and meet their favorite voice actors – some of whom queued for long periods.

“The most important thing AI will never be able to do is interact with the community,” says Alex.

“AI will never be able to sit down with people who truly love the work on a human level and share that passion.

“And people who are genuinely passionate about things want to share that passion with others.”

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