“Luke, I am your artificially intelligent assistant now.”
That’s the controversy behind the latest “Fortnite“ update, which added an AI-powered Darth Vader character voiced using synthetic audio mimicking the late James Earl Jones. While Jones’ estate gave permission, the actors’ union says the real issue is that no one consulted them.
On Monday, SAG-AFTRA filed an unfair labor practice charge against Llama Productions, a subsidiary of Epic Games. The charge alleges that the company used AI to replace union-covered voice work without bargaining or giving notice. This latest charge intensifies an already complicated relationship between the entertainment industry and artificial intelligence, especially in voice acting and digital likenesses.
Fortnite launched an AI-powered Darth Vader modeled after the voice of James Earl Jones and it’s going as well as you might expect: pic.twitter.com/I8mMq76eEB
— IGN (@IGN) May 16, 2025
The union’s beef isn’t with the tech itself, but with the breach of contract. According to SAG-AFTRA, Llama Productions sidestepped its obligation to negotiate terms before implementing AI-generated performances, violating the interactive media agreement in place. “We must protect our right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our members,” the union stated.
And the internet is… having fun with it.
Since going live, AI Vader has been coaxed into reciting everything from “hawk tuah” to “I am a puppy girl,” and “rizz,” all while sounding like cinema’s most iconic villain. After early player interactions got a little NSFW, Epic quickly scrubbed the worst offenders, but the controversy continues.
In a statement, SAG-AFTRA said the union supports members’ and their estates’ rights to control the use of their digital replicas.
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“However, we must protect our right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our members, including those who previously did the work of matching Darth Vader’s iconic rhythm and tone in video games,” the union said.
This isn’t the first time SAG-AFTRA has gone to war over AI. The union’s strike against major gaming companies began back in July 2024 over similar concerns, primarily centered on the unauthorized use of digital replicas and unregulated voice cloning in games.
Just last year, SAG and the AMPTP also grappled over synthetic likenesses during the historic Hollywood double strike, eventually hashing out protections in the 2023-24 TV/Theatrical agreement.
