The use of artificial intelligence tools has alarmed various guilds who believe that if this technology is not regulated and a clear legal labor framework is not established, they will be greatly affected. Part of this problem relates to the entertainment industry in film and TV, as actors have encountered contracts proposing future exploitation deals through AI without receiving royalties. The same fear exists in video games, and a new scandal caught the industry's attention.
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Hi-Rez Studios Angered Voice Actors with an AI-Favoring Contract
Hi-Rez Studios, the company known for Paladins and Smite, came under fire after voice actors accused the company of presenting an unequal and dangerous labor deal. Specifically, through actor Henry Schrader, Hi-Rez presented a contract that informed actors about the unique registration of their voices and their subsequent exploitation in future releases without payment. Essentially, the company offered a payment for the current work and nothing more, reserving the appropriation and exploitation for the future.
So, to anyone who doesn't know, Hi-Rez Studios, the people behind Paladins and Smite, have stated that they will be using AI to clone voices and refused to add in any words to contracts that would protect actors from it. More info in the thread. Please share to other VAs. (1/?)
— Henry Schrader (@HenrySchraderVO) August 17, 2023
According to information surrounding the worker protests, the language and concepts used in the contract provided no legal protection for them. They also reported not being given a copy of the contract, and in order to do so, they had to sign a confidentiality agreement that would prevent them from taking legal action.
The scandal was so intense that in the hours following, Stewart Chisam, CEO of Hi-Rez, assured in a message posted on his Twitter account that it was all a misunderstanding and presented a copy of the contract with modifications that could meet the workers' demands.
Here is updated rider. pic.twitter.com/OCPRFttJrD
— Stewart Chisam (@schisam) August 17, 2023
Stay tuned here on LEVEL UP.
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