Video actors and voice artists have recently gone on strike under the SAG-AFTRA banner due to concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) in video games. They fear for their jobs. Could this affect the release dates for GTA 6 and Black Ops 6?
The release of these major video games might be at risk. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has announced a strike by video game actors to push for better protection against AI.
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These strikes impact games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and GTA 6. While there is no specific release date for GTA 6 yet (it may be sometime in 2025), Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is set to be released in October 2024. The strike began after it was revealed that game companies were developing AI solutions that could make real voice actors obsolete.
Agreed on Almost All Points – But Only Almost
PR for the game companies says they're "disappointed," says they have agreements on 24 of 25 issues:
"Our offer is directly responsive to SAG-AFTRA’s concerns and extends meaningful AI protections that include requiring consent and fair compensation to all performers…"
— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) July 25, 2024
According to Gamefile.news, major Western game companies and SAG-AFTRA have been in dispute for over a year and a half. They have managed to reach an agreement on 24 out of 25 issues. Stephen Totilo reported this via Twitter.
The main issue is the use of AI and the concern that it could be trained to create synthetic voices, which would put video game actors out of work.
“We will not agree to a contract that allows companies to abuse AI to the detriment of our members,”
said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher.
“Enough is enough. If these companies are serious about offering an agreement that our members can live with – and work with – we will be willing to negotiate,”
According to an official statement.
There is significant concern that AI might eventually be used to process the voices of voice actors, leading to video game characters being voiced by programs rather than people. The impact on the releases of GTA 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is not yet clear, as much of the voice work and motion capture for these projects is usually completed years before their release.
Read Also: Former Rockstar Developer Predicts ‘GTA 6’ Will Be Similar to GTA 5, Despite High Hopes and Leaks
