More than 300 video game performers and Hollywood actors gathered outside the Warner Bros Studios building on Thursday to protest against the perceived disregard for protecting union voice actors and motion capture workers equally in the face of unregulated artificial intelligence (AI) use. The protest marked the first major labor action since Sag-Aftra game workers voted to strike last week, following months of unsuccessful negotiations with top gaming companies over a new interactive media agreement.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the national executive director of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (Sag-Aftra), spoke before the crowd, highlighting the increasing challenge of AI in the union's negotiations. He expressed frustration that the video game companies refuse to provide informed consent and fair compensation to their members, despite agreements reached with other industries. "And yet, for some reason, the video game companies refuse to do that, and that's what's going to be their undoing," Crabtree-Ireland told the Associated Press.

The union leaders argue that AI poses an existential crisis for performers, as it enables the replication and use of game voice actors and motion capture artists' likenesses without their consent or fair compensation. They further emphasize that the unregulated use of AI poses an equal or even greater threat to video game performers compared to film and television, due to the ease and affordability of creating convincing digital replicas of voices.

Konstantine Anthony, a Burbank city council member and Sag-Aftra member, shared his perspective on the issue, stating that most people still prefer human storytellers over AI. He highlighted how advanced algorithms in video games aim to create realistic replicas of performers, eliminating the need for human involvement. Anthony emphasized the protesters' demand for fair treatment and payment, stating, "That's why we're here today: to ask that they simply pay their storytellers."

In response, Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for video game producers, stated that the companies have offered AI protections and a significant increase in wages for Sag-Aftra represented performers in the industry. However, Sag-Aftra's negotiating committee expressed concerns about the studios' definition of who qualifies as a "performer" covered by the collective bargaining agreement. Ray Rodriguez, Sag-Aftra's chief contracts officer, raised this issue in a news conference, highlighting that certain physical performances are being treated as mere "data."

Cooling affirmed the industry's commitment to including Sag-Aftra-represented performers in their productions and vowed to continue working on resolving the remaining issues in the negotiations. The goal, according to Cooling, is to reach an agreement with the union that will bring an end to the strike.

The protest serves as a visible manifestation of the growing tension between video game performers and the gaming industry over AI protections. Sag-Aftra intends to push for fair treatment and compensation for its members, ensuring that voice actors and motion capture workers are not sidelined in the rapidly advancing world of artificial intelligence.