Key Takeaways
- Video game companies have updated their offer to the SAG-AFTRA actors’ union, focusing on crucial artificial intelligence (AI) concerns.
- The new proposal removes a clause that allowed companies to pay a one-time fee for unlimited use of an actor’s AI-generated likeness.
- Actors would no longer face financial penalties for withdrawing consent for the use of their digital replicas during a strike.
- SAG-AFTRA is currently reviewing this latest offer, delivered on May 8th, with its members.
Video game companies have presented a revised offer to the striking actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, in an effort to resolve the long-standing dispute, particularly around the use of artificial intelligence. According to GameSpot, this proposal is being referred to as the “Last, Best, and Final” offer regarding AI issues, following a previous version in late April.
A significant change in this offer is the removal of a provision that would have allowed companies to pay actors a single, upfront fee for unlimited use of their AI-generated “digital replicas” for a set period. SAG-AFTRA argued such buyouts would unfairly benefit employers and devalue actors’ work.
Instead, the new terms suggest that companies would need to compensate actors more in line with how their digital likenesses are actually used, moving closer to traditional payment structures for actors.
Another key concession addresses actors’ rights during strikes. The offer eliminates a requirement for actors to repay companies if they withdraw consent for the use of their digital likeness while on strike. This was a major point of contention for the union.
The union had expressed concerns that the previous clause could effectively force actors to have their digital likenesses “scab” during a strike, or else risk losing substantial income. Removing this addresses that fear directly.
The actors’ union received this latest offer on May 8th and has stated it is now discussing the proposal with its membership to determine the next steps. There has been no official reply from SAG-AFTRA yet.
The strike has been ongoing for nearly a year, nearing its 300th day. Voice actors from popular games like Spider-Man, Resident Evil, and Mass Effect have been prominent in calling for stronger protections against the rapidly evolving capabilities of generative AI, a central issue in this protracted labor dispute.
