US performer union SAG-AFTRA has announced what it calls “a groundbreaking AI voice agreement” with Replica Studios, a company that says it is “building the world’s greatest library of AI powered voice actors” for use by the gaming and film industries.
“This new agreement”, the union says, “paves the way for professional voice over artists to safely explore new employment opportunities for their digital voice replicas with industry-leading protections tailored to AI technology, allowing … video game studios and other companies working with Replica to access top SAG-AFTRA talent”.
Voice clones have been a big part of the conversation around AI within the music industry as well as the acting profession. Many artists and labels see this as one of the big opportunities presented by AI, with the likes of Grimes already experimenting in this space, and a number of artists signed to Universal Music and Warner Music involved in a pilot with YouTube.
However, artists are also understandably nervous about allowing technology companies, or indeed record companies, to exploit their voice in this way. There has been increasing debate about what legal protections artists and other performers can rely on to protect their voices, while behind the scenes managers and lawyers have become wary of terms in contracts that might allow labels and studios to exploit a performer’s voice without explicit permission.
SAG-AFTRA has been particularly vocal on the rights of performers to protect their voices, likeness and identities in the context of AI, and ensuring those rights was a key part of the dispute that led to last year’s big Hollywood strike.
Expanding on the agreement with Replica Studios, the union says it “sets the basis for fair and equitable employment of voice actors as they explore the new revenue opportunities provided by AI”, especially in the gaming industry. The agreement, it adds, “ensures performer consent and negotiation for uses of their digital voice double and requires that performers have the opportunity to opt out of its continued use in new works”.
Welcoming the deal with Replica Studios, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Dresche says: “Artificial intelligence has dominated the headlines and, for most performers, the best protection against the unauthorised digital simulation of their voice, likeness and/or performance is a SAG-AFTRA contract. We are so happy to partner with Replica Studios, because this is a great example of AI being done right”.