Does permission from the original artist make the use of AI ethical? This burning question has taken the Star Wars universe by storm over the past week.
On May 16, Fortnite issued a statement announcing Darth Vader as a boss in Battle Royale, replacing Darth Vader Samurai. The character has a feature where the players and their entire team can take turns speaking to the Sith Lord or asking him questions about anything, including game strategies. Darth Vader responds using conversational AI.
Fortnite clarifies that the estate of James Earl Jones, who voiced Vader in the Star Wars movies, has allowed AI to replicate his voice. The actor also gave legal permission for AI to recreate his voice for future projects when he retired from the franchise in 2022, two years before his demise.
The press release included a statement from Jones' family: "James Earl felt that the voice of Darth Vader was inseparable from the story of Star Wars, and he always wanted fans of all ages to continue to experience it. We hope that this collaboration with Fortnite will allow both longtime fans of Darth Vader and newer generations to share in the enjoyment of this iconic character."
However, fans are not happy with the decision, regardless of the family's sentiment.
"I'm sorry, but AI Darth Vader was the worst idea Disney ever approved for the character," said one fan. "He became a joke and not a serious character anymore. Players will remember Darth Vader as someone who talks like that and not as a serious character when they watch Star Wars."
"Sorry, but I don’t really like the AI Darth Vader because WHY is a billion-dollar company using AI of a deceased actor? Are we serious??" said another.
Another fan pointed out that fans could use Jones' voice to make his iconic character say inappropriate things using the new feature. "The Darth Vader AI in Fortnite was a bad idea from the start. You have people saying weird stuff and asking Vader to cuss and do inappropriate stuff. Take it out of the game completely or at least, idk, have Vader take them out," the user said. An article from NME shared an example of Darth Vader using slurs.
A fan suggested that players could try to break the feature to make things difficult for Epic Games. "This Darth Vader AI is ghoulish and honestly shameful, but the least people can do is break it so it causes issues for Epic."
Some also mentioned how the AI-generated voice does not align with Darth Vader's personality or speech.
SAG-AFTRA files charges against Fortnite's use of AI Darth Vader
Following the backlash, SAG-AFTRA released a statement on Fortnite using James Earl Jones' voice for AI Darth Vader. The statement acknowledged estates' rights to control the use of digital replicas but also asserted the need for fair and just bargaining around replacing human labor.
SAG-AFTRA stated that Fortnite's signatory company, Llama Productions, replaced the work of human performers with AI technology without providing any notice or having a conversation over appropriate terms and conditions.
In retaliation, SAG-AFTRA has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Llama Productions with the National Labor Relations Board.
"Within the past six months, the Employer, by its agents and representatives, failed and refused to bargain in good faith with the union by making unilateral changes to the terms and conditions of employment, without providing notice to the union or the opportunity to bargain, by utilizing AI-generated voices to replace bargaining unit work on the Interactive Program Fortnite," the filing reads.
A full copy of the filing can be read HERE.