SAG-AFTRA Signs Deal With Voiceover Studio for AI Use in Video Games

[Kane99]

Source - https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/sag-aftra-signs-deal-with-voiceover-studio-for-ai-use-in-video-games/ar-AA1mHShG

I did not see this one coming, considering that I thought the whole purpose of the SAG-AFTRA was to protect actors and voice actors, and this seems far from helping actors at all. But then again, I should have remembered these guys were up against the actors and voice actors recently during those recent actor/voice actor strikes. I think there is still a strike between writers and even writers in video games, so idk what's going on with them. Just sounds like bad decision after bad decision to me. 

Anyway, they recently signed a deal with a AI voiceover studio known as Replica Studios. The terms outlined at least sounds like it requires consent from actors and voice actors before they can create digital voice replicas of them. As well, there will be requirements for the safe storage of these digital assets. I wonder if they then own your AI voice or if the voice actor gets a say in what their voice can be used for. I hope it's the latter. 

They make a point in the article that AI isn't going anywhere, that it's here to stay. It almost sounded like they demand that we get on board with them using AI or something. Just the way it was put. 

What do you think? I am split on AI, as I know it can very well take jobs away from people if the point is to use AI as an alternative to voice acting, and I don't want that. I do like the idea of using AI in some of the NPCs in a video game, but for the main characters, protagonists and most of the side characters, all should be voiced by real life people. But I don't mind AI used in smaller doses, around smaller, less important NPCs, the ones that don't have names. 

But, I get that it's impeding on the lives of actual voce actors and I don't want to see any voice actor losing a job because of AI. 

[Ravenfreak]

I'm split on this decision, on one hand these tools can be good to use when voice actors are sick and can't come to the studio to record specific lines for things. On the other hand, certain studios could simply just strictly stick to using AI for future projects and the voice actors wouldn't get paid for their roles if the AI ends up using their voice clips which would be absolutely terrible and not right IMO. AI can't easily replicate the same emotions in voices that humans can, so I can only see AI strictly projects being terrible in quality.