Artificial intelligence (AI) was a major issue behind the Screen Actors Guild (SAG or SAG-AFTRA) strike against Hollywood studios last year. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG's national executive director and chief negotiator, said a new SAG strike could be expected in the video games sector in the next four to six weeks as the creative industries and technology continue to collide. It's possible that it could happen.
“We have permission in our contract to strike and at this point there's at least a 50-50 chance of that happening,” Crabtree-Ireland told Fast Company in an on-stage interview today (March 9). Speaking to Editor-in-Chief Brendan Vaughan. At SXSW 2024 in Austin, Texas.
“I really hope we can avoid that,” Crabtree-Ireland added. “We don't want to go on strike, but we won't sign a contract with a company that doesn't protect its members from the abusive exploitation of AI.”
Although it is SAG Actors union in negotiations with video game company starting in 2022 voted to authorize the strike It took on the video game industry in September 2023, months before closing the deal with Hollywood studios. “Between the exploitative use of AI and lagging wages, people working in video games face many of the same problems as people working in film and television.” Chief Contracting Officer Jay Rodriguez said in a statement at the time.
Crabtree-Ireland said some video game companies have been supportive of actors, but many major game studios have been resistant. In January, the union reached an agreement with gaming company Replica to allow SAG members to work on audio “under a fair and ethical agreement.”Some voice actors openly criticized the agreementBut Crabtree-Ireland called it “groundbreaking” and “the next evolution in protections for performers.”
Major game studios named in SAG's statement include Electronic Arts Productions, Disney Character Voices and Activision Productions. These companies do not fully agree to the protections SAG is seeking, including protections against misuse of AI. According to Crabtree-Ireland, independent game studios are not held to the same standards held by major game manufacturers. It seems like they are much more accepting of the same conditions.
“The only ones saying we can't work together on this are the big game companies. Why? Because they're not proactive in getting us to where we need to be in treating people fairly when it comes to AI. ” he said.
Union leaders hope the 118-day strike against Hollywood studios and streamers has shown the gaming industry that SAG is willing to do whatever it takes to make its case. He said major movie studios thought they could sign deals without addressing AI concerns, but that has been proven wrong.
“The Motion Picture and Television Agreement helped with the strike. I think it certainly showed that we were serious,” Crabtree-Ireland said. “But I don't know if I can get over the line without doing it again.”
