Introducing Endless Mode: A New Games & Anime Site from Paste
Last week, Fortnite announced that it had used artificial intelligence to recreate James Earl Jones’ voice and let players have conversations in the game with Darth Vader. You could argue that, even with the support of the late actor’s estate, there are a whole host of ethical issues with the endeavor. (The thing has already allegedly been caught swearing and more in its first few days of existence.) The Screen Actors Guild also has an issue with it, bringing its own charge against Llama Productions, a Fortnite production company owned by Epic Games, today, alleging that the company is violating the guild’s rules.
“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 a press statement shared with the filing. “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 statement continues, “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. As such, we have filed an unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB against Llama Productions.”
The SAG filing is obviously most focused on labor issues raised by Fortnite’s decision, which includes an important reminder. There have been actors besides Jones to give voice to Darth Vader for nearly as long as there’s been a Darth Vader. In 1981, Brock Peters voiced Vader in a radio play adaptation of the original movie. Actors Matt Sloan and Scott Lawrence have both frequently voiced the character in video games, with Lawrence performing most recently in 2023’s Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. While it is true that the conversational element that Fortnite is advertising would likely require AI regardless, it’s also true that the company could have entered into a guild-covered arrangement with a living actor, should it have chosen.
