Latest news with #Sith
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Fortnite' Using A.I. Darth Vader Is Another Step Toward the Dark Side
Darth Vader has a new enemy, but it isn't the Jedi Order reborn. It's the Screen Actors Guild. On May 16, as part of a month-long collaboration between Epic Games' Fortnite and Disney-owned Star Wars, Darth Vader was added to Fortnite Battle Royale as an optional, recruitable ally. What's unusual about Vader is that players can "talk" to him; by pressing a special button, players can say anything into their headsets to Vader, and the Sith Lord will respond using conversational artificial intelligence. The technology uses the voice of the late James Earl Jones, who played Darth Vader in the films. Epic Games wrote on its official blog that Fortnite's A.I. Vader was created with the involvement of Jones' estate: "We're honored to feature the voice of the late Mr. Jones and we thank his estate for the opportunity to make this happen for players," wrote Epic in a statement. However, the union that represents professional actors, SAG-AFTRA, says that Epic violated labor practices by failing to notify the union, "and without bargaining with us over appropriate terms." "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," reads SAG-AFTRA's statement. It should be emphasized the use of Jones's voice is not the problem here; the actor signed over the rights to his voice to Lucasfilm in 2022, and even worked with Ukranian-based A.I. firm Respeecher prior to his death. The first instance of an A.I. Vader was not Fortnite, but for the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi. Gamers asking Vader vulgar questions or making him cuss—which Epic issued a swift hotfix after players caught the dark lord dropping F-bombs—isn't the issue either. It's that Fortnite released an A.I. Darth Vader, a character otherwise performed by union members, during a major ongoing strike against video game companies by the actors' union. Adds SAG-AFTRA: "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." The union announced it filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Epic Games' Llama Productions. While yes, it's awfully funny to ask Darth Vader about Skibidi Toilet and Sabrina Carpenter—and in one Reddit user's case, receive an unexpectedly moving response after they told Vader about their recently deceased grandmother—AI's concerning potential to replace human artists evolves at lightspeed. Generative artificial intelligence was at the center of the 2023 dual labor strikes in Hollywood, and in July 2024, SAG-AFTRA began its strike against major gaming publishers over an industry-wide rush to adopt of A.I. Among the parties SAG-AFTRA is striking against is Fortnite's publishers Epic Games. "We're not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse A.I. to the detriment of our members," said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher in the union's July 2024 strike announcement. The real disturbance in the Force is how Epic felt emboldened to drop its A.I. Vader while it is in active dispute with the actors' union over A.I. Since 2024, Epic Games has enjoyed splashy investment from Star Wars' parent company, Disney, with Fortnite as the crux of their partnership. That a tech giant backed by one of the biggest movie studios in the world implemented a virtual novelty action figure—without concerning the labor union that advocates protections for humans from A.I.—comes across as one of the biggest gestures of arrogance yet. The future is yet to be written, but as people grow alarmingly comfortable with artificial intelligence, it may already be decided. You Might Also Like Kid Cudi Is All Right 16 Best Shoe Organizers For Storing and Displaying Your Kicks
Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Hollywood actors' union sues Epic Games over Darth Vader's AI voice in Fortnite: ‘Refused to bargain in good faith'
In a case that feels straight out of sci-fi satire, the voice of Darth Vader has landed at the centre of a real-world legal battle involving AI, actors' rights, and one of the most iconic villains in cinematic history. The Hollywood actors' union, Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists or the SAG-AFTRA, has filed an unfair labour practice charge against Llama Productions, a subsidiary of Epic Games, after the company allegedly used AI to replicate Darth Vader's voice in the popular online game Fortnite, without notifying the union or the original performers. Fortnite recently added a fully voiced Darth Vader character to the game. But this version doesn't rely on the familiar timbre shaped by years of actors' performances. Instead, it uses conversational AI, allowing players to interact with the Sith Lord in real time. Once recruited to a team, Vader can answer player questions about the Force, the Galactic Empire, or even in-game tactics. The move, however, has stirred up more than just excitement among fans. According to SAG-AFTRA, the company 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. Citing unauthorised use of AI-generated voices in place of union members' performances, the union stated that they 'failed and refused to bargain in good faith with the union'. SAG-AFTRA insists that studios and game developers cannot sidestep negotiated contracts by generating digital replicas without explicit agreements: '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,' the union said. This dispute comes amid an ongoing strike against major gaming companies, which began in July 2024 after more than a year of negotiations stalled, largely over the unregulated use of AI in games and interactive media. Epic Games, which owns Fortnite, has yet to publicly respond to the filing. James Earl Jones, who passed away in January 2024, was renowned for his portrayal of iconic characters, such as the voice of Mufasa in The Lion King (1994)and Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise.
Geek Tyrant
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
STAR WARS: MASTER OF EVIL Novel Will Dive Into the Sith Ritual That Defined Darth Vader — GeekTyrant
If you're a fan of the Star Wars prequels and have ever wondered how Anakin Skywalker, broken and burnt at the end of Revenge of the Sith , fully embraced his Darth Vader persona, we're finally getting a deeper look. Coming November 11th, Star Wars: Master of Evil by author Adam Christopher will dig into Vader's early days as Palpatine's apprentice. The book will explore a crucial Sith milestone that hasn't been portrayed in the movies… the dark ritual Vader performs to create his own red-bladed lightsaber. According to the official synopsis from Penguin Random House: 'On the volcanic world of Mustafar, Vader undertakes a dark ritual, bleeding a kyber crystal to forge his lightsaber. This act unleashes a power far greater than he anticipated, giving him a glimpse into the limitless potential of the Force.' If you're a hardcore fan and you've read the comic, maybe you'll remember it from Marvel's Darth Vader #5 (2017), part of the Dark Lord of the Sith comic series by Charles Soule and artist Giuseppe Camuncoli. That series kicked off right where Revenge of the Sith left off and spent 25 issues showing how Vader's armor, mindset, and relationship with the Force all evolved under the Emperor's rule. This new novel won't overwrite that continuity, instead, it aims to offer a fresh, more intimate lens. And it's a significant one. The process of 'bleeding' a kyber crystal is a deeply personal Sith tradition, symbolizing a full commitment to the Dark Side. It's been explored here and there, most notably in the Jedi: Fallen Order video game and a bit in Tales of the Jedi , but never through Vader's transformation, and never in this much detail. It's the kind of deeper mythology come fans have been waiting for, the stuff that connects the character dots between the fiery end of Anakin Skywalker and the cold, commanding presence of the Vader we meet in A New Hope . Star Wars: Master of Evil is up for pre-order now in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats, with a November 11th release date.
Euronews
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Fortnite's foul-mouthed AI Darth Vader angers fans and SAG-AFTRA
Online video game platform Fortnite has added an AI-powered Darth Vader NPC to the game, one which uses the voice of late actor James Earl Jones. And the reaction has been far from positive. 'Strategise with the ultimate Sith Lord. With your voice. And he'll respond back using conversational AI,' reads a statement from Epic Games. 'Darth Vader has touched down once again as a boss in Battle Royale. Ask him all your pressing questions about the Force, the Galactic Empire… or you know, a good strat for the last Storm circle. The Sith Lord has opinions.' Epic Games added that Darth Vader 'wouldn't be nearly as sinister without the legendary performance of James Earl Jones,' who voiced Vader in the Star Wars films. They also shared a statement from Jones' family: '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. 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 fans aren't having any of it. 'It doesn't matter if the family thinks it's cool or not, it's still disturbing to use a dead man's voice for your kid's shooter,' wrote one fan on Reddit. Another queried: 'Do you really think resurrecting dead people for monetary profit is going to stop here, especially with Disney?', while a fan added: 'I will not partake in the act of Digital Necromancy and I will openly judge everyone who does. Shame on you all.' Problematically - and depressing in its predictability - as soon as Darth Vader was added into the game, players were getting the character to say the word 'fuck' and use homophobic slurs. 'This is really disappointing. I wasn't a big fan of a Star Wars season but throwing AI into the mix is absolutely butchering any excitement I might have had for the future of Fortnite. I hope this feature leaves and never comes back,' wrote a player on Reddit. Adding to the backlash is Hollywood's actors' union, who have filed an unfair labor practice charge against Llama Productions on Monday, alleging the company replaced actors' work by using artificial intelligence to generate Darth Vader's voice in Fortnite without notice. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists said Llama Productions, a subsidiary of gaming giant Epic Games, 'failed and refused to bargain in good faith with the union' in the last six months. The company 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, SAG-AFTRA said. In a statement, SAG-AFTRA said the union supports the rights of members and their estates to control the use of their digital replicas. '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,' the union said.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Fortnite vs SAG-AFTRA complete AI Darth Vader controversy timeline explained
Image via Epic Games. It's been a tough time for Fortnite and Epic Games after getting the unfair labour complaint from SAG-AFTRA. This all started when Fortnite added the Dark Lord from Sith, Dark Vader, in the game as an AI chatbot. With the AI Darth Vader, fans can interact in many ways, like asking questions, normal chatting, getting alerts for upcoming threats, etc. Seeing all of these, fans became hugely excited. However, it's completely the opposite for SAG-AFTRA. The entire controversy of Fortnite vs SAG-AFTRA explained The AI Darth Vader companion in Fortnite has got the voice of James Earl Jones. | Image via Epic Games. As mentioned earlier, Fortnite added the AI Darth Vader companion in the game on May 2 as a part of a collaboration with the Star Wars franchise in the season named Galactic Battle. Despite being an AI chatbot, Darth Vader in the game is voiced by none other than the legendary James Earl Jones. This iconic actor also gave his voice behind Darth Vader in most Star Wars movies and series. However, this is the thing that made SAG-AFTRA lodge a complaint against Fortnite and Epic Games. The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) is a labor union in the United States that represents more than 160,000, which includes actors, voice artists, and various other performers and personnels from the field. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [Click Here] 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software Expertinspector Learn More Undo This organization has been protesting against generative AI stealing normal people's jobs in the media field, since July 2024. And the recent addition of Earl Jones' AI voice is exactly that. In a recently released statement, SAG-AFTRA stated that it must protect the right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of the guild's members. SAG-AFTRA thinks this is exactly something that has happened to Scott Lawrence. He is another popular voice behind the Sith Dark Lord besides Jones. In video games, Lawrence has even a bigger legacy than Jones, starring in Star Wars games from Tie Fight in 1994 to Jedi Survivor in 2023. As Lawrence has been the voice of Darth Vader for such a long time in video games, SAG-AFTRA thinks in the case of Fortnite too, Lawrence should have been chosen. And as he wasn't, the guild adjudges this as a case of AI stealing human work, SAG-AFTRA lodged an Unfair Labor complaint against Fortnite. Epic Games hasn't yet provided any official response over this complaint. Read More: How to recruit AI Darth Vader in Fortnite Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
