SAG-AFTRA files unfair labor practice charge over Fortnite AI Darth Vader
SAG-AFTRA filed an unfair labor practice charge against Llama Productions, alleging the company used AI to generate Darth Vader's voice in Fortnite without notice or bargaining with the union. The charge alleges the company failed to bargain in good faith and made unilateral changes to employment terms by using AI-generated voices to replace work that would normally be performed by union members.
What happened
SAG-AFTRA filed an unfair labor practice charge against Llama Productions on Monday, alleging the company used artificial intelligence to generate Darth Vader's voice in Fortnite without notice.
SAG-AFTRA alleged that Llama Productions, a subsidiary of Epic Games, 'failed and refused to bargain in good faith with the union' in the last six months and made unilateral changes to the terms and conditions of employment 'without providing notice to the union or the opportunity to bargain' by using AI-generated voices to replace bargaining unit work.
Reported impact
SAG-AFTRA said the union supports the rights of members and their estates to control the use of their digital replicas but must protect the right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of members, including those who previously did the work of matching Darth Vader's iconic rhythm and tone in video games.
Index analysis
The charge follows SAG-AFTRA's strike against major game companies in July 2024 after more than a year of negotiations around the union's interactive media agreement broke down over concerns around the use of unregulated artificial intelligence.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.