US EditionSAG-AFTRA files unfair labor practice charge over use of AI to make Darth Vader’s voice in Fortnite
- On Monday, SAG-AFTRA lodged a charge against Llama Productions, accusing the company of employing AI to replicate Darth Vader’s voice for Fortnite characters without informing or negotiating with the union.
- The charge comes after a six-month period during which Llama Productions, a subsidiary of Epic Games, reportedly made unilateral changes to employment terms and neglected to engage in fair negotiations with the union.
- Fortnite added an AI-controlled Darth Vader NPC that can speak with players, replacing union voice actors, after negotiations on AI protections stalled and led to a strike beginning in July 2024.
- SAG-AFTRA emphasized the importance of negotiating agreements concerning the use of voices that stand in for their members’ performances, including those who provided the voice matching for Darth Vader in video games.
- The NLRB will review the charge, which could lead to investigations or settlements, and the case highlights ongoing disputes over AI's impact on voice actors' labor rights.
183 Articles
183 Articles
The Actors Union Is Filing a Lawsuit for the Use of AI to Give Voice to Darth Vader in 'Fortnite'
The Hollywood actors' union filed Monday a complaint for unfair labor practices in which it claimed that the work of the actors has been replaced by the use of artificial intelligence to generate the voice of Darth Vader in the video game Fortnite.SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) stated that Llama Productions, a subsidiary of the Epic Games giant, "refused to negotiate in good faith with the uni…
'Fortnite' Using A.I. Darth Vader Is Another Step Toward the Dark Side
Players can now interact with an A.I. character that uses the voice of the late James Earl Jones. But SAG-AFTRA isn't happy about it—and that's not even mentioning some alarming goofs from the A.I. itself.
Darth Vader's AI "Fortnite" Appearance Sparks Legal Complaint
The great James Earl Jones died last year, but his legacy continues in ways that go beyond the usual archive associated with an actor of such range and talent. In 2022, news emerged that he had signed off on a deal that would allow AI to replicate his voice — specifically, his voice as the Star Wars character Darth Vader. And while you might think that would largely show up in Star Wars movies and television shows, it’s another media appearance …
Actors Union Files Complaint Against Fortnite Over AI Darth Vader That's Been Spewing Racism, Homophobia, And More With James Earl Jones' Voice
fortnite AI darth vader Fortnite introduced an AI-powered Darth Vader model that can respond to the voices of speaking players, and it’s going about as well as you’d expect. As soon as the AI Darth Vader was rolled out, Fortnite players immediately began manipulating it into saying offensive phrases such as curse words and homophobic slurs, or complete nonsense like “skibidi rizz.” extended 1080p version that is now just over 50 seconds of fort…
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