SAG-AFTRA Files Unfair Labor Practice Charge Against Fortnite for AI Darth Vader
The AI character allows players to converse with him via voice chat.
Fortnite’s Darth Vader AI-powered interactive character, which uses the voice likeness of James Earl Jones, is the subject of a new charge filed by SAG-AFTRA.
What’s Happening:
- The Hollywood Reporter shares that SAG-AFTRA has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Llama Productions for Fornite’s AI-powered Darth Vader character.
- As we reported last Friday, the AI-powered Darth Vader uses the likeness of James Earl Jones’ voice. Players are able to recruit and communicate with the character via voice chat.
- The union, which represents actors and musicians, claims that the Fortnite production company made changes to their terms and conditions of employment by implementing the AI without giving them notice, thus denying them any space for negotiations.
- Filed to the National Labor Relations Board, SAG-AFTRA suggests that the AI voice unnecessarily replaces opportunities for voice actors.
- SAG-AFTRA is currently on strike as they fight for AI protections for voice actors under the Interactive Media Agreement. As it stands, union members are allowed to work on titles that were in development prior to August of 2023. Fortnite falls under those guidelines, meaning SAG-AFTRA members are still able to work on the title.
- In the union’s statement about the issue, they highlighted “the right of our members and their estates to control the use of their digital replicas," but made clear they “must protect [their] right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of [their] members, including those who previously did the work of matching Darth Vader’s iconic rhythm and tone in video games."
- Darth Vader’s recruitable AI character can be recruited now through June 7th, when Fortnite’s Star Wars-themed Galactic Battle mini-season officially ends.
- Fortnite, which originally released back in 2017, is a mega popular, multiplayer battle royale-style game available on all major gaming consoles and PC.
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