SAG-AFTRA, the world’s largest labor union representing performers, has collaborated with Replica Studios, a leading artificial intelligence voice technology company, to provide union members with the opportunity to license digital replicas of their voices for use in video games. The agreement, announced at CES 2024, aims to address the growing concern surrounding AI’s ability to mimic famous voices without consent or compensation.
The potential of AI to replicate renowned voices has triggered debates within the music industry. In 2023, Ghostwriter, an artist leveraging generative AI, released a song imitating the voices of popular musicians, Drake and The Weeknd. However, neither of these artists were involved in the creation of the song, sparking a conversation about whether AI-generated content should be eligible for prestigious awards like the Grammy. Ghostwriter emphasized the need for artists to benefit financially from the replication of their distinct voices.
The partnership between SAG-AFTRA and Replica Studios marks the first attempt by a group to establish guidelines on consent and compensation regarding the use of AI to mimic performer voices. The union’s involvement in AI-related issues traces back nearly a decade, with AI becoming a central concern during the union’s 2023 strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. As a result of the strike, studios are now obligated to seek consent and provide payment to actors for the usage of AI-generated likeness.
Fran Drescher, the president of SAG-AFTRA and an acclaimed actor, stated that a SAG-AFTRA contract is the best safeguard against the unauthorized digital simulation of performers’ voice, likeness, and performance. The union, consisting of over 160,000 members, aims to protect performers’ rights in an era dominated by artificial intelligence.
Replica Studios CEO, Shreyas Nivas, lauded the agreement as “groundbreaking.” He emphasized that it enables voice actors to explore new opportunities for their digital voice replicas while ensuring safeguards for consent, contracts, compensation, and secure storage of these digital assets.
Although the current agreement focuses on video games, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the national executive director and chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA, expressed the possibility of future agreements in other areas of vocal performance, such as music and TV commercials. However, the agreement does not encompass the contentious use of performer voices to train large language models, a subject that has faced criticism from notable figures like author George R.R. Martin.
The partnership between SAG-AFTRA and Replica Studios reflects the evolving dynamics between AI and the entertainment industry. By establishing frameworks for consent and compensation, this collaboration aims to address concerns surrounding AI’s imitation of performer voices while promoting the responsible and fair use of AI technology.
The source of the article is from the blog scimag.news