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SAG-AFTRA files unfair labor practice
charge over use of AI to make Darth Vader's voice in Fortnite
[May 20, 2025]
By SARAH PARVINI
LOS ANGELES
(AP) — Hollywood's actors' union filed an unfair labor practice charge
against Llama Productions on Monday, alleging the company replaced
actors' work by using artificial intelligence to generate Darth Vader's
voice in Fortnite without notice. |
A Darth Vader costumed character poses at the Hasbro and Amazon Star
Wars interactive Imperial March experience at the Empire State Building
on Thursday, March 21, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP,
file) |
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The
Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio
Artists said Llama Productions, a subsidiary of gaming giant
Epic Games, “failed and refused to bargain in good faith with
the union” in the last six months. The company made unilateral
changes to the terms and conditions of employment “without
providing notice to the union or the opportunity to bargain” by
using AI-generated voices to replace bargaining unit work, SAG-AFTRA
said.
Epic Games did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
SAG-AFTRA called a strike against major game companies in July
after more than a year of negotiations around the union’s
interactive media agreement broke down over concerns around the
use of unregulated artificial intelligence.
In a statement, SAG-AFTRA said the union supports the rights of
members and their estates to control the use of their digital
replicas.
“However, we must protect our right to bargain terms and
conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our
members, including those who previously did the work of matching
Darth Vader’s iconic rhythm and tone in video games,” the union
said.
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