The people behind the voices on video games and other entertainment occupations were on the picket line in Burbank Tuesday, voicing their concerns about AI's threat to their industry.
More than 50 voice and movement actors were on Olive Ave. with signs that read, "Real people behind the voices" and "Don't put a bot in the Booth."
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Andi Norris's voice and movements have been in more than 30 video games over the last 10 years. She told KNX News' Pete Demetriou she fears artificial intelligence could soon put her out of work and that new work rules are needed.
"Essentially consent, compensation, and transparency," Norris said. "So if you take my data, if you take my performance, I want to know that you're doing it; I want to know where it's being used, how it's being used, what my voice is saying. I want to be able to consent to that...and I want to be compensated if my performance is still driving your game."
Norris and others are worried that Disney's use of AI could even sample previous work and then translate it into future projects with no compensation at all, which could lead to phasing actors out altogether.
"While so many companies say that they want to have diverse and equitable and authentic casting, this is a way to get around it," Veteran voiceover and video game actor JP Karliak said.
"Instead of actually going out and hiring people from diverse communities to portray actors, they could just create them from thin air, leaving people from underrepresented communities unemployed and unconnected to this work."
The battle between SAG-AFTRA and the Walt Disney Company is now in its 8th month.
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