Lightspeed LA, a new game development studio under Tencent’s Lightspeed & Quantum Studio group, has signed a deal with the Screen Actors Guild of America (SAG-AFTRA) to implement AI protections in its upcoming games.
The agreement, reached today following negotiations between Lightspeed LA and representatives of SAG-AFTRA, allows Lightspeed to hire union actors for roles in its development and future games, allowing Lightspeed LA to continue employing union members even while SAG-AFTRA is itself on strike. The guild voted to decide about a month ago..
The strike is over the use of generative AI in video game products, which it fears could replace the jobs of actors. Lightspeed LA has implemented the protections the union sought, but the parties have not released details at this time other than that an agreement has been reached.
Lightspeed LA is currently working on Last Sentinel, a futuristic end-of-the-world game set, somewhat ironically, in a world where technology has gone haywire. Last Sentinel was first revealed with a CG trailer at The Game Awards in 2023. The deal signed with SAG-AFTRA applies to Last Sentinel and the studio’s future projects.
