SAG-AFTRA Issues New Contract to Protect Voice Actors in Animated TV Shows from AI Abuse

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists has ratified its contracts to protect voice actors' likenesses from being recreated by AI without permission.

The SAG-AFTRA issued the revised three-year contracts defining voice actors for animated TV shows "includes only humans."

Like with its other new contracts release, SAG-AFTRA is not prohibiting studios from using AI technology but rather limiting its application

For instance, studios are required to disclose the use of AI to replicate the voice actors' voices, as well as attribute the digital replica to the voice actor.

Producers will also need to properly notify the union and the voice actor over the use of "synthetic performers" in digitally altering their voices for foreign languages.

This means that voice actors are eligible for all "applicable residuals" received from the synthetic voice.

SAG-AFTRA Secures Better Wages, Residuals for Voice Actors

In addition to protection from AI exploitation, voice actors will also receive a 4% wage increase starting July 1, and another 3.5% raise by July 1, 2025. Voice actors already received a 7% wage hike last year.

Union members will also start receiving residuals high budget video-on-demands.

The new deals are part of the SAG-AFTRA's agreed negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers following its four-month union strike last year.

AI Concerns Still Prevalent in Hollywood

Despite SAG-AFTRA's efforts to protect its members from AI abuse, worries about the dangers of the technology remain present in Hollywood.

Just last week, several sources told Bloomberg that OpenAI is entering discussions with Hollywood executives for a possible AI expansion in the entertainment industry.

SAG-AFTRA itself agreed to let an AI studio use the likenesses of willing voice actors for game development during the 2024 CES convention.

More unions working in the industry, including those that are newly formed, are posed to launch their own picket lines to protest against the increasing numbers of layoffs and AI use by production companies.