Voice actors' union sues Epic Games for unfair labor practices over Fortnite's AI Darth Vader



The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), a US labor union, has filed an unfair labor practice lawsuit against Epic Games with the US Labor Relations Board over the AI-powered Darth Vader character that appears in Fortnite .

SAG-AFTRA Statement on Fortnite's Use of AI Darth Vader Voice and ULP Filing | SAG-AFTRA
https://www.sagaftra.org/sag-aftra-statement-fortnites-use-ai-darth-vader-voice-and-ulp-filing



Voice Actor Union Files Unfair Labor Practice Charge Over Fortnite's AI Darth Vader - IGN
https://www.ign.com/articles/voice-actor-union-files-unfair-labor-practice-charge-over-fortnites-ai-darth-vader



Fortnite implemented AI Darth Vader in the third week of May 2025. This AI Darth Vader can sing, respond intelligently to questions from the player, speak directed or improvised dialogue, and issue warnings to the player. This AI Darth Vader is programmed to help people who may have mental health issues, but was patched shortly after release to stop him from saying the F-word .




The original voice of Darth Vader was provided by James Earl Jones , who passed away in September 2024 at the age of 93. This AI Darth Vader has been recreated using AI with the approval of Jones' estate.

Regarding the AI ​​Darth Vader implemented in Fortnite, Jones' family said, 'James Earl believed that Darth Vader's voice was inseparable from the Star Wars story and he always wanted to keep that voice available to fans of all ages. We hope that our collaboration with Fortnite will allow both longtime Darth Vader fans and new generations to share in the fun of this iconic character.'

SAG-AFTRA has accused Epic Games's use of AI voices as a major problem, accusing Llama Productions, a subsidiary of Epic Games that produces Fortnite, of 'unilaterally changing the terms of employment for Fortnite by using AI-generated voices to replace bargaining unit work without notifying the union or providing an opportunity to negotiate.'

Over the past year, SAG-AFTRA has been working to improve the contracts between game developers and the actors who voice game characters. SAG-AFTRA has been on strike for about 10 months, but has been unable to reach an agreement due to the AI ​​clause, even though the two sides have agreed to 24 of the other 25 proposed contracts. In early 2024, SAG-AFTRA published a breakdown of the contract clauses the two sides still have not agreed to, stating that the clauses remain 'frustratingly far apart.'

In addition, SAG-AFTRA has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) alleging that Epic Games' implementation of the AI ​​Darth Vader constitutes an unfair labor practice. SAG-AFTRA argued, 'Llama Productions chose to replace human actors with AI technology. Unfortunately, they did so without any notice of their intention or negotiating with us about appropriate terms. Therefore, we are filing an unfair labor practice complaint against Llama Productions with the NLRB.'

The US National Labor Relations Board will review SAG-AFTRA's complaint and, if it finds it to be valid, may conduct an investigation and a hearing. If Epic Games is found to have engaged in unfair labor practices, the US Labor Relations Board could force corrections, such as removing Darth Vader from the game entirely and imposing other penalties. However, these lawsuits often take months or even years to move forward, and the lawsuits may be dismissed by mutual agreement between the two parties.

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in Game, Posted by logu_ii