Introducing Darth Vader, an AI-controlled character voiced by the late James Earl Jones, into Fortnite’s battle royale has brought excitement for players, but trouble for Epic Games developers. Soon after deployment, players found ways to make the AI-Vader swear, leading Epic Games to release an immediate update to tighten controls and seal potential exploits. Unfortunately, some inappropriate video clips had already gone viral online before the fix was implemented.
Additional issues concerning the AI Sith Lord have surfaced at Epic’s premises, this time in the shape of an unfair labor practice complaint lodged by SAG-AFTRA, a union representing actors and voice artists. At present, they are on strike, demanding enhanced protections to prevent their voices from being misused by artificial intelligence.
The complaint lodged at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Llama Productions and Epic Games claims that Epic Games did not engage in good faith negotiations with the union by unilaterally altering employment terms and conditions without giving prior notice or a chance to negotiate. Additionally, it alleges they employed AI-generated voices to perform tasks usually handled by union members on Fortnite, an interactive program.
SAG-AFTRA confirmed that James Earl Jones had given consent for his voice to be utilized, expressing that “We honor our members’ and their estates’ ability to oversee the deployment of their digital counterparts. We’re thrilled about the adoption of novel technologies that enable future generations to appreciate these enduring legacies and iconic roles.
Since Darth Vader has been played by live actors in previous video games, it was necessary for Epic Games to engage in negotiations before using their AI solution, as per the union’s requirements due to the availability of these actors.
SAG-AFTRA declared that it’s crucial to secure our authority to negotiate the terms and conditions under which artificial intelligence takes over jobs previously handled by our members, like replicating Darth Vader’s distinctive rhythm and tone in video games. Unfortunately, Llama Productions, the company behind Fortnite, opted for AI instead of human performers without giving any prior notice or discussing terms with us. As a result, we have submitted an unfair labor practice complaint to the NLRB against Llama Productions.
At a particularly challenging time for all involved, tensions rise as Epic Games encounters resistance from Apple in their efforts to reinstate Fortnite on iOS following what they believed was a victory. Meanwhile, the backing for SAG-AFTRA’s strike has been waning among both the public and its own members.
DBLTAP has reached out to Epic Games for comment.
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2025-05-20 12:16