The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) recently updated its members on the ongoing negotiations regarding video game actor AI protections. While some progress has been made, significant disagreements remain with the industry bargaining group, leaving negotiations "frustratingly far apart" on key issues.

A comparison chart highlights these persistent discrepancies:

• AI Protection Scope: SAG-AFTRA seeks comprehensive protection against digital replica or generative AI use for all past and future work, while the bargaining group limits this to work produced after the agreement.

• "Digital Replica" Definition: SAG-AFTRA proposes a definition encompassing any performance readily identifiable or attributable to a performer, whereas the bargaining group's "objectively identifiable" standard is considered too restrictive by SAG-AFTRA.

• Inclusion of Movement Performers: SAG-AFTRA advocates for including movement performers in the generative AI agreement, a point not fully addressed by the bargaining group.

• Terminology: Disagreements exist over the appropriate terminology for AI-generated performances, with SAG-AFTRA favoring "real-time generation" and the bargaining group proposing "procedural generation."

• Transparency and Disclosure: SAG-AFTRA demands disclosure regarding the blending of voices to create digital replicas and the intended use of voice data (e.g., scripted dialogue vs. real-time chatbots). The bargaining group hasn't fully addressed these transparency concerns.

• Strike Clause: SAG-AFTRA proposes withdrawing consent for digital replica use during strikes, a condition the bargaining group opposes.

• Consent Duration: SAG-AFTRA proposes a five-year consent period with renewal, while the bargaining group seeks unlimited consent.

• Compensation: Significant disagreements persist regarding minimum compensation for digital replica creation and use, although tentative agreement exists on bonus pay calculation.

• Employer Bonus Rights: The bargaining group's proposed bonus rights clause, mirroring the SAG-AFTRA TV/Film agreement, is deemed too broad by SAG-AFTRA, potentially circumventing union rights. SAG-AFTRA is open to a revised version with stricter boundaries.

• Usage Tracking: SAG-AFTRA seeks a system to track digital replica usage to ensure appropriate compensation, a proposal deemed infeasible by the bargaining group.

• Synthetic Performer Definitions: Clear definitions and regulations surrounding "synthetic" performers (AI-generated characters) remain unresolved.

Despite these outstanding issues, tentative agreements have been reached on bonus pay, dispute resolution, aspects of minimum compensation, consent requirements, certain disclosures, and more. However, SAG-AFTRA expresses concern that the bargaining employers are misleading members about the proximity of a deal.

SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland cautioned members against undermining the strike by accepting work without adequate AI protections, emphasizing the risk of exploitation and the potential for their performances to replace them without consent or compensation.

In response, Audrey Cooling, spokesperson for the video game industry bargaining group, stated that they have proposed a deal including wage increases over 15%, enhanced health and safety protections, and industry-leading AI terms, expressing eagerness to return to the bargaining table.

The eight-month-long SAG-AFTRA video game strike, initiated due to the lack of AI agreement, is visibly impacting the industry. Players have reported unvoiced NPCs in games like Destiny 2 and World of Warcraft. League of Legends experienced a strike-related incident, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 characters were recast. Recently, two Zenless Zone Zero voice actors discovered their replacements through patch notes.