SAG-AFTRA Voice Actors’ Strike Set to Continue Amidst AI Scandals at miHoYo and Serene Questworks

The ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike is set to continue as the union cites loopholes in recent contract proposals that leave its members vulnerable to AI exploitation. Meanwhile, two actors from miHoYo’s game Zenless Zone Zero lost their jobs over an AI dispute, and Castle of Secrets developer Serene Questworks allegedly replaced its voice cast with generative AI.

As video game companies are pushing for agreements that would allow them to use AI to replicate actors’ voices, often without informing them of how the technology is being used or offering fair compensation, the union has also highlighted that some companies are actively seeking to replace striking performers with others they can “exploit” during the ongoing work stoppage.

“We have proposed a deal that includes wage increases of over 15 percent for SAG-AFTRA represented performers in video games, as well as enhanced health and safety protections, industry-leading terms of use for AI digital replicas in-game and additional compensation for the use of an actor’s performance in other games,” said Audrey Cooling, spokesperson for the video game producers party to the Interactive Media Agreement, in a statement shared with Eurogamer.

The controversy among union and game companies continues amid an AI scandal in Zenless Zone Zero by miHoYo. Two voice actors, Emeri Chase and Nicholas Thurkettle, were replaced when they chose not to work on the game under terms that didn’t align with the union’s demands for AI protections. Chase, a member of SAG-AFTRA, explained that they had been replaced after refusing to work on projects that did not adhere to the Interim Agreement, which ensures protections against AI exploitation. Thurkettle, who is not a member of the union, echoed similar sentiments, stating that the industry’s growing reliance on AI was an “existential threat” to voice actors and their livelihoods.

Meanwhile, indie developer Serene Questwork, creator of the upcoming Castle of Secrets, has been accused of firing voice actors and replacing them with AI-generated voices to cut costs. Voice actor Mika Nerida, who was initially hired under the belief she was meant to replace the game’s initial AI placeholder voices for the project, claimed that the studio decided to use AI voices trained on her takes of over 4000+ lines instead of continuing with human performers. Both Nerida and voice actor Ian Mitchell, who also worked on Castle of Secrets, have spoken out against this decision, arguing that AI voices lack the authenticity of human performances and undermine the artistry of voice acting.

The SAG-AFTRA strike continued since its beginning on July 26, 2024, after negotiations with major video game companies failed to secure protections against the unauthorized use of AI to replicate actors’ voices and likenesses.