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SAG-AFTRA Goes After Epic Games Over AI Darth Vader

By 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Rhiannon Bevan

Published May 19, 2025

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Summary

SAG-AFTRA files an unfair labour charge against Epic Games.
This is in response to the launch of AI Darth Vader in Fortnite.
Other actors have played Darth Vader in the games before, but Epic still chose to generate James Earl Jones' voice.

168澳洲幸运5开奖网:SAG-AFTRA, the world's largest union representing performers across multiple industries, is going after 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Epic Games. This comes after Epic launched an 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:AI Darth Vader chatbot in Fortnite, allowing players to speak with the character, which 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:uses the voice of the late James Earl Jone𓆉s.

In response to this, SAG-AFTRA has launched an unfair labour practice charge against Epic's signature company, Llama Productions, for replacing the work of human actors with AI. This comes as SAG-AFTRA continues its strike againstܫ the gaming industr♐y, whi꧃ch is over concerns about AI acting ღin games.

SAG-AFTRA Files Unfair Labour Practice Charge Over Fortnite's AI Darth Vader

Sabrina Carpenter meeting Darth Vader Samurai in Fortnite.

"We celebrate the right of our members and their estates to control the use of their digita♏l replicas and welcome the use of new technologies to allow new generations to💛 share in the enjoyment of those legacies and renowned roles," SAG-AFTRA's reads. "However, we must protect our right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our members, including those who previously did the work of matching Darth Vader's iconic rhythm and tone in video games."

This references the fact that the best-known actor to portray Vader, James Earl Jones, agreed to have his voice replicated by AI 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:for the Disney+ show, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The agreement also meant that his voice could be replicated after he passed away, with h♐is family approving of the collaboration with Fortnite.

However, Jones is far from the only actor to portray Vader. Scott Lawrence has the most crediꦫts for Vader in video games, playing the character from 1994's Star Wars: TIE Fight, all the way to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor in 2023. Since Lawrence's voice is what we would usually hear in a video game, it makes sense that SAG-AFTRA considers this a ca෴se of AI stealing work from a human actor.

In the statement, SAG-AFTRA says that Epic did ꦉnot negotiate with the union before rolling AI Vader out in its game. Epic was also named in SAG-AFTRA's announcement that its members would be striking ag꧃ainst the industry, citing a failure to protect actors against the growing use of generative AI.

Epic Games is yet to respond 🧔to SAG-AFTRA'🗹s statement.