LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Video game performers voted to go on strike Thursday, throwing part of the entertainment industry into another work stoppage after talks for a new contract with major game studios broke down over artificial intelligence protections.
“I’ve done over 300 games in my career, probably over 500 characters so, I’m very heavily involved in the industry,” said JB Blanc, one of thousands of video game performers on strike. “This is the biggest existential threat I think we’ve ever faced as actors.”
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has been negotiating with video game producers (see below) for nearly two years and have yet to come to an agreement.
The main sticking point is protecting performers from the use of AI. SAG-AFTRA negotiators say gains have been made over wages and job safety in the video game contract, but that the studios will not make a deal over the regulation of generative AI.
Without guardrails, …