The media artists union SAG-AFTRA has voted to expand its ongoing Hollywood strike to encompass the games industry. In …

Key issues up for negotiation include pay and conditions, but also “protections against unrestrained use of artificial intelligence”, specifically the impact upon performance capture artists.

The companies involved in the negotiations include Activision, Disney, EA, Epic Games, Insomniac, Take 2, and Warner Bros.

“It has been nearly a year since SAG-AFTRA’s video game contract, the Interactive Media Agreement, was extended beyond the original expiration date as we negotiated with the companies for critical terms SAG-AFTRA members need,” the statement explains.

“Unfortunately, throughout the negotiations, the companies have failed to address those needs. For this reason, the negotiating committee and National Board unanimously agreed that the union should have a member-approved strike authorisation in hand when bargaining resumes on 26th September.”

    • Foggyfroggy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      273·
      11 months ago

      Workers rights absolutely. Pay your human workers even while using ai to make a great product. AI didn’t do anything to me, it’s how the companies decide to use it.

      • echo64@lemmy.worldEnglish
        53·
        11 months ago

        Oh yeah I’m sure they will use the ai to pay human workers as well. You definitely know that if they are allowed to use ai they won’t use it in a way that means they can stop paying humans and can just have ais generate everything

    • stupidfly@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      64·
      11 months ago

      I don’t know… this is a development industry. I think this will just accelerate the move to AI.

    • Pixlbabble@lemmy.worldEnglish
      33·
      11 months ago

      Or more Ai as a cash incentive. It’s already an industry that creates npc’s, Ai will improve this, Indy’s might just sit there and craft perfect Ai actors and license them out.

      • Katana314@lemmy.worldEnglish
        4·
        11 months ago

        It won’t lift up everyone, but the people that it will help are in any normal classification considered workers.