SAG-AFTRA Pushes for A.I. Protections, Representation at Game Developers Conference

SAG-AFTRA video game performers and staff attended the 2024 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco from March 18–22. SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and SAG-AFTRA Interactive Negotiating Committee Chair Sarah Elmaleh were featured on two panels, What Game Companies Need to Know About Deepfakes on March 20, and Voices of Authenticity: Best Practices for Casting & Representing Queerness on March 22. 

Other panel speakers included Meta Associate General Counsel, Reality Labs Wei Wang, Ph.D.; Microsoft Principal Corporate Counsel Jessica Henderson; Gay Gaming Professionals Chief Executive Officer Gordon Bellamy; actor Christine Rose Schermerhorn; as well as members of LGBTQ+ vocal training academy nonprofit Queer Vox: President & Founder JP Karliak, Treasurer Linsay Rousseau and Manager Anjali Kunapaneni.  

In their respective panels, Crabtree-Ireland and Elmaleh emphasized a need for A.I. to be used more ethically and collaboratively, not only with performers, but developers and other creatives in the space as well. 

“There is a role that human creativity plays in our culture and in our lives that is different from other types of processes,” said Crabtree-Ireland. “When you think about how human beings connect with each other, there is something special and unique about that and, from a societal perspective, we should care about that.”

SAG-AFTRA also co-hosted the IRL Mixer on March 21. The networking event featured ping-pong and was attended by negotiating committee members and San Francisco-Northern California Local performers as well as The Last of Us Part II voiceover actor Shannon Woodward.  

SAG-AFTRA’s negotiations with large-scale game companies, including Activision Productions Inc., Electronic Arts and Take-Two Interactive, have continued since September 2022. In 2023, eligible members gave a 98% “Yes” vote to authorize a strike.

Yet, although the industry awaits word of a strike or, more optimistically, a tentative agreement, strides have been made in other areas. At CES 2024 in January, SAG-AFTRA announced an A.I. voice agreement with Replica Studios, and more recently, introduced the Tiered-Budget Independent Interactive Media Agreement, which specifically enables performers to work on signatory projects with budgets of up to $15 million. 

The Game Developers Conference is the game industry’s premier professional event, championing game developers and the advancement of their craft. In addition to exhibitions, panels and two award ceremonies, the Game Developers Choice Awards and Independent Games Festival, the GDC’s programming brings the game development community together to exchange ideas, solve problems and shape the future of the industry.