From rock ‘n’ roll stars to actors and radio and TV talent who are all members of the SAG-AFTRA union, digital facsimiles of flesh and blood entertainers — and those who are now deceased — has emerged in recent years as a vital topic of concern.
Now, in a move that “ensures performers are protected and empowered” in the era of Artificial Intelligence, the guild has teamed with Ethovox to ensure performers can participate in a consensual A.I. model.
Co-founded by BAFTA Games Award-winner Cissy Jones, Ethovox says it is building “a fully-authenticated foundational A.I. model for voice.”
Importantly, it is designed to offer fair compensation to any A.I. voice, and brings DEI foundational sensitivities to the platform.
“The SAG-AFTRA-Ethovox contract leads the field in performer compensation as it provides both session fees and ongoing revenue sharing for the life of the foundational model,” SAG-AFTRA notes.
A foundational voice model provides the basis for digital replicas. It requires volumes of underlying voice data to enable the replicas to function properly, SAG-AFTRA acknowledges. “The Ethovox model will not be user-facing, and the voices included in the model will not be identifiable in any of the speech generated,” it says.
SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland comments, “What will safeguard voice actors’ livelihoods in the A.I. age is more contractual protection, not less. That’s why SAG-AFTRA will continue to recognize A.I. companies, like Ethovox, that agree with our union’s A.I. guidelines. Not everyone will want to work with an A.I. company, and that’s understandable. But for those who intend to utilize the opportunities A.I. offers, it’s important that agreements require companies to secure informed consent, and provide fair compensation. Without informed consent and fair compensation, this new era will become a ‘Wild West’ of A.I. misuse and exploitation.”
A ongtime advocate for A.I. regulations and guardrails, Jones, who serves as Ethovox CEO, commented, “Ethovox is the only voice AI company owned and managed by voice actors, and we are pleased to be partnering with SAG-AFTRA on building a foundational voice A.I. model that prioritizes the interests of voice actors. A.I. should be a choice. For that reason, we have reached out to the voice actor community throughout this process. Ethovox will continue to do so as we demonstrate that artists can, and should, be compensated for contributing to ethical A.I. development while also maintaining consent and control over their voice data.”
The Ethovox Agreement was approved by the union’s Corporate/Educational & Non-Broadcast Committee and was additionally presented to and approved by SAG-AFTRA’s National Executive Committee.
