Voice Actor Jennifer Hale on Video Game Strike and AI Fears: ‘You’re Using Technology to Take Away Our Ability to Feed Our Kids’

As a supporter of Jennifer Hale and someone who has grown up listening to her incredible voice work in iconic video game franchises like “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” and “X-Men ’97,” I wholeheartedly stand with her in the current SAG-AFTRA strike against major video game publishers.


Jennifer Hale has taken on various roles, from a clumsy extraterrestrial to a terrified six-year-old child, to a powerful superhero saving the world. This versatile voice actress, whose work spans animation and video games in titles such as “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “Baldur’s Gate,” “X-Men ’97” and many others, is highly recognizable in the gaming world.

At this moment, the gaming sector has come to a standstill following SAG-AFTRA’s decision to go on strike against leading video game publishers as of July 25. This strike follows over a year of discussions, and it mirrors the actors’ and writers’ strikes from last year. A significant issue in these negotiations is the use of AI, much like it was during those previous strikes.

“AI is destined to affect everyone, Hale points out. This is because AI functions as a tool, similar to a hammer. While it can constructively be used to build a house, the same tool could also be wielded destructively, causing harm and disrupting one’s identity.”

As a cinephile, I find myself underlining the deeply existential essence of the strife that’s unfolding here. Hale, who’s at the heart of these negotiations, points out that SAG-AFTRA has just proposed a fresh counter offer to video game developers, an agreement already inked by close to 70 studios under the current interim deal.

The performer discusses how the National Association of Voice Actors has previously advocated for congressional legislation, including the “NO FAKES Act,” which is designed to safeguard individuals’ voice and visual resemblance from manipulation by artificial intelligence. She encourages supporters to reach out to their elected officials, requesting them to support bills similar to this one.

“Hale suggests, ‘Shouldn’t we be compensated if you’re utilizing something derived from our bodies or voices?’ He argues, ‘Given that you’re leveraging technology to substitute for what we once did to provide for our families.'”

Among the initial video game series that Hale contributed to was “Metal Gear,” where she lent her voice to the character Naomi Hunter. Hale disclosed that for two recording sessions, she received standard payment of $1,200, whereas the game eventually earned approximately $176 million in revenue.

“I’d prefer if everyone consistently questioned the destination of profits, which is essentially, ‘With all this wealth being generated, where exactly is it ending up?’ In our present system, the trend is that it’s accumulating among the 1%. When we pour so much money into a system, it becomes impossible to provide for those who contributed to its creation.”

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2024-08-31 22:16