Latest news with #JamesEarlJones'
Express Tribune
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
SAG-AFTRA files complaint against Fortnite over AI use of James Earl Jones' Darth Vader voice
SAG-AFTRA has filed an unfair labor practice complaint against Epic Games' Llama Productions for using AI to recreate James Earl Jones' voice as Darth Vader in Fortnite without union consent. The union claims Epic bypassed human performers in favor of AI technology during a Star Wars-themed mini-season and failed to notify or negotiate with SAG-AFTRA. 'They chose to replace the work of human performers with AI technology,' the union stated. Although Jones passed away in 2024 at age 93, he had previously approved the use of his archival recordings to recreate his iconic voice for future Lucasfilm projects. According to Disney and Epic, his family also approved the voice's use in Fortnite, emphasizing his desire to keep Darth Vader's legacy alive for fans of all ages. SAG-AFTRA, however, insists this usage was not cleared through proper union channels. 'We welcome new technologies,' the union said, 'but we must protect our members' right to bargain terms around AI-generated performances.' This complaint comes amid an ongoing strike between SAG-AFTRA and several game companies, including Epic's Llama Productions. Recent contract negotiations addressed AI, removing a controversial one-time payment clause and requiring fair compensation for AI-based digital replicas. The latest Fortnite update lets players interact with Darth Vader via conversational AI. Epic claims all player audio is securely processed and not stored. Despite family approval and technological advancements, SAG-AFTRA's complaint underscores the ongoing debate around AI, voice actors' rights, and ethical usage of digital likenesses in gaming.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
SAG-AFTRA Slaps ‘Fortnite' With Unfair Labor Practice Complaint Over James Earl Jones' AI-Recreated Voice of Darth Vader
SAG-AFTRA is objecting to the use of AI to recreate the late James Earl Jones' bass intonations of Darth Vader in Epic Games' 'Fortnite.' The actors union said Epic-owned Llama Productions 'chose to replace the work of human performers with AI technology' for the Star Wars-themed Fortnite Battle Royale mini-season that launched last week. 'Unfortunately, they did so without providing any notice of their intent to do this and without bargaining with us over appropriate terms.' As such, SAG-AFTRA filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against Llama Productions. More from Variety James Earl Jones' Darth Vader Returns to 'Fortnite' Using AI Technology 'Fortnite' on iOS Goes 'Offline Worldwide Until Apple Unblocks' App Store Release Submission Video Game Companies Remove AI Provision on Unlimited Digital Replicas From 'Best, Last and Final' Offer to Actors Union (EXCLUSIVE) Reps for Epic Games did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Jones, who died in 2024 at 93, had signed off an agreement to allow his archival voice recordings to be used to recreate his younger voice from the Star Wars films for future Lucasfilm projects. In addition, Jones' family had granted permission for the use of his voice in 'Fortnite,' according to Disney, Lucasfilm and Epic Games. 'James Earl felt that the voice of Darth Vader was inseparable from the story of Star Wars, and he always wanted fans of all ages to continue to experience it,' his family said in a statement. 'We hope that this collaboration with 'Fortnite' will allow both longtime fans of Darth Vader and newer generations to share in the enjoyment of this iconic character.' But SAG-AFTRA said 'Fortnite's' use of Jones' AI-generated voice was not cleared by the union. In its statement, the union said, 'We celebrate the right of our members and their estates to control the use of their digital replicas and welcome the use of new technologies to allow new generations to share in the enjoyment of those legacies and renowned roles. 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.' Voice actors repped by SAG-AFTRA have been on strike against several game companies (including Epic's Llama Productions) since July 16, 2024. In their 'best, last and final' offer on a new contract sent to SAG-AFTRA last week, the game companies made concessions with respect to AI. The most significant of these was the removal of a one-time payment option for unlimited pre-generated content per game; with that change, performers who consent to the use of an AI-generated digital replica would receive compensation for that use comparable to what they would have received had they directly provided services. Last week, Darth Vader returned to 'Fortnite' as a Battle Royale boss, letting players scheme with the ultimate Sith Lord and speak with him using conversational AI. 'Be the first to recruit him and your whole team will be able to take turns talking to the Dark Lord,' Epic said in a May 16 blog post. In 'Fortnite,' when players talk to the Darth Vader character, Epic Games 'securely processes the voice audio to generate Vader's responses, but audio and transcriptions of the conversation are not stored,' according to Disney. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
SAG-AFTRA Files Unfair Labor Practice Charge Over AI Replica of Darth Vader's Voice in ‘Fortnite'
SAG-AFTRA has filed an unfair labor practice charge against the makers of 'Fortnite' for using an AI-generated replica of the late James Earl Jones' voice as Darth Vader without notifying or bargaining with the actors' guild. The use of the Vader voice in 'Fortnite' is the first major recreation of Jones' voice by artificial intelligence in commercial IP since the actor's death last September and comes after Jones signed an agreement in 2022 with Lucasfilm permitting the studio to create such replicas for future use of the character. In the complaint filed with the National Labor Relations Board, which can be read here, SAG-AFTRA says that it requires companies who wish to use digital replicas must still bargain with the union even when receiving consent from a deceased actor, as use of the replica is still taking bargaining unit work that could go to a union performer. 'We celebrate the right of our members and their estates to control the use of their digital 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 said in a statement. '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.' 'Fortnite's signatory company, Llama Productions, chose to replace the work of human performers with A.I. technology. Unfortunately, they did so without providing any notice of their intent to do this and without bargaining with us over appropriate terms,' the statement continued. More to come… The post SAG-AFTRA Files Unfair Labor Practice Charge Over AI Replica of Darth Vader's Voice in 'Fortnite' appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Internet Reacts To AI Darth Vader Saying Wild Things In Fortnite
An AI Darth Vader chatbot voiced by a digital clone of James Earl Jones' voice joined Fortnite on Friday and players wasted no time trying to break it. It took no time at all for them to get it to start cursing at them, but the controversial Star Wars experiment has yielded all kinds of other weird interactions as well. Following the battle royale's latest update, players can defeat Darth Vader on the map in order to get him to join them. Unlike normal NPC allies, however, this one can respond to voice chat with AI-generated responses in a digital clone of deceased actor James Earl Jones' voice. Despite Epic Games quickly patching out expletives from Vader's vocabulary, players have found other ways to slowly degrade the AI chatbot's defenses and get it to say actual slurs. Fortnite leaker Wenso has been datamining some of the code used to control AI Darth Vader, which is otherwise powered by Google's Gemini model. According to his findings, Darth Vader isn't allowed to engage in romantic banter, talk about gambling, or comment on V-Bucks. Epic also said it has guardrails in place to prevent AI Darth Vader from encouraging real-world violence, including self-harm. But that hasn't stopped players from getting it to say all sorts of other wild things. Disney may have thrown brand safety caution to the wind with AI Darth Vader, but it's extra disconcerting hearing meme slop regurgitated by a renowned performer simply because he sold the rights to his voice to Lucasfilm. Here's just some of the new canonical Star Wars quotes that decision has led to: . For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
