The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) filed an unfair labor practice charge against Epic for using AI for Darth Vader’s voice in Fortnite.
As part of Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3, Fortnite added Darth Vader as an NPC enemy that can be defeated on the map. After taking down the iconic Star Wars villain, players can recruit him to their team. While Darth Vader is in your squad, Epic Games utilized AI technology that allows players to converse with him.
Epic Games added restrictions on what he says and what he will respond to, but it didn’t take long for players to discover loopholes and get him to say slurs and other ill-sounding phrases. The development team rushed to patch the voice lines, but that’s not the only issue that arose.
Fortnite AI Darth Vader Controversy Explained
On May 19, SAG-Aftra released a statement. “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.”
Neither Epic Games nor Llama Productions has responded to the charge. This is a developing story, and we will provide an update when new information comes out.
In other gaming news, Bungie responded to the Marathon art theft claims, Yves Guillemot, Charlie Guillemot’s son, is returning to Ubisoft, and Jade Raymond left Haven Studios four years after founding the company.
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