According to the Hollywood Reporter and others on the 19th, the Hollywood Actors and Broadcasting Union (SAG-AFTRA) said in a statement that Lamar Productions of Epic Games, the producer of the game “Fortnite,” filed a complaint with the U.S. Labor Relations Board (NLRB), calling it an unfair labor practice to replace human work with AI technology.
Lamar Productions recently released a “Fortnite Battle Royal Mini Season” game with a “Star Wars” theme. The problem of the actors’ association was that it created and utilized Darth Vader’s voice in the game. James Earl Jones, the actor who played Darth Vader in the original movie, died in September last year, and the game company created and inserted it into the game through consultation with his bereaved family.
Regarding this, the actors’ union claimed, “We unilaterally changed the terms of employment without giving prior notice or opportunity to negotiate.” This use of generative AI voice essentially replaced what humans could do. In other words, the media explained that AI took away the opportunity to hire real actors who could play Star Wars characters.
“We support the right of members and their bereaved families to control the use of digital copies,” the actors’ association said. “But we must protect the right to negotiate terms and conditions for voice use that replace members’ work.” He added, “These targets include members who have previously worked to recreate Darth Vader’s special voice rhythm and tone in video games.”
The actors’ association has consistently expressed its opposition to the creation and use of AI by movie companies and game companies. Some actors from the association have been on strike since July last year against several game companies, including Epic Games’ Lamar Productions, and the issue of AI use has become a major issue in their negotiations, according to the media.
SAM KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
