SAG-AFTRA Director Compares AI Voice Acting to The Little Mermaid

SAG-AFTRA national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland has spoken about the dangers of AI in relation to voice acting, comparing the situation to The Little Mermaid’s villain, Ursula.

What did SAG-AFTRA’s director say about AI voice acting?

At San Diego Comic-Con, Crabtree-Ireland spoke at a panel alongside numerous voice actors and explained to the audience how AI makes it possible for anyone to make a voice actor’s characters — and by extension, their voices — say anything, regardless of their own feelings or consent.

“We’ve got to reject the idea that this is just something that’s going to happen to us and we can’t say anything about it,” Crabtree-Ireland stated of AI dominating the industry (via Variety). “I think it definitely could, the question is whether we’re going to let that happen.”

The director then compared the situation to “a story of a small mermaid and sea witch that literally steals that mermaid’s voice … I remember seeing that for the first time and thinking how horrifying is it that this sea witch steals the voice of this person and then uses it for whatever. That is exactly what we’re talking about.”

The SAG-AFTRA strike that began nearly two weeks ago is partially in response to how AI is poised to affect the entertainment industry, with SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher stating, “The entire business model has been changed by streaming and A.I. If we don’t stand tall right now, we are all going to be in jeopardy. You cannot change the business model as much as it has been changed and not expect the contract to change too.”

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