Last year, the artists’ union SAG-AFTRA launched a massive strike against the film industry in response to their widespread use of AI in movies and TV. This was only one of many branches of the ongoing war against AI. Furthermore, the organization sacrificed its ongoing agreements with the gaming industry to protest, highlighting the severity of the issue.
There are many similarities between the previous and current strikes against the video game industry, highlighting how widespread these issues have become in the entire entertainment industry in the past few years. Here is a breakdown of why gamers should care about the upcoming protest and how they can help.
SAG-AFTRA’s Latest Endeavor
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According to Deadline, SAG-AFTRA has started its latest battle against corruption in the entertainment industry. This time, they are protesting the rapid rise of AI within the industry. Last year, they led a massive strike against the film and television industry in response to their usage of AI for writing. President Fran Drescher said, “We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse A.I. to the detriment of our members.” Furthermore, the event coincides with Comic-Con itself, giving its members a strong opportunity to spread the word.
What makes this decision especially shocking is that SAG-AFTRA spent nearly two years working on an agreement with the industry titled Interactive Media Agreement, which speaks to the organization’s passion for challenging AI. Ten corporations are facing a strike, including the industry giants Activision, EA, Epic Games, and Warner Bros. Because of this, one can expect these protests to be just as big as last years’. The strike goes into effect on July 26.
Their Current Cause for Strike
As stated above, this latest protest was brought about over concerns about AI taking over the video game industry. The roots of this protest go back to September of last year. There, they authorized the protest with a 98% approval vote and highlighted the similarities between the film and gaming industry issues. From the announcement above, a spokesperson said he was disappointed with the development, given how close they were to an agreement. For reference, last year’s protests led to massive shifts within the film industry and caused several delays for huge projects. However, this was a small price to pay in the long run.
On a closely related note, there are other reasons for protest. For those following the news for the past year, several hundred companies have been laying off huge swathes of their workforce in rapid succession. The lockdown’s gaming boom wore off faster than anticipated, so companies rewarded their loyal workers with mass layoffs. Given the concerns about AI stealing jobs from real artists, this will inevitably become a massive talking point.
The AI Takeover
While both protests are undoubtedly huge undertakings against industry giants, they represent only a small fraction of the ongoing AI debate. Within a few years, AI has gone from novel technology to a meme to a human rights debate. AI has invaded various industries, such as voice acting, writing, art, and animation. As such, it’s no surprise that massive tech corporations have already tried to use this technology to their advantage. This should concern anyone who respects their favorite artists or cares about the quality of the art they consume.
Only by uniting and maintaining these protests can artists and audiences alike prevent AI from taking over. For those looking for hope, the last protest ended with a victory for workers and artists. Hollywood and producers agreed to protect them from unlawful or uninformed use of AI in their work. This victory should serve as a rallying cry for the protesters and the disenfranchised, laid-off workers who will likely stand in solidarity with them.
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