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The relationship between the entertainment industry and artificial intelligence is being tested once again. Hollywood industry news site Deadline reported that the owner of the animated series Peppa Pig is getting rejected After the show’s child voice actors were required to sign contracts allowing their voices to be recreated by artificial intelligence.
Peppa Pig, which runs on Nickelodeon as well as streaming services like Paramount Plus and Amazon’s Prime Video, is currently in its 11th season. It is owned by the toy company Hasbro.
Deadline’s story focuses on Open letter from Agents of the Young Artists Associationa UK-based group that represents child performers. The letter states that a long-running animated television series “offered contracts to child voice actors and insisted that they agree to use artificial intelligence and thus allow them to use the child’s voice in all commercial assets within their franchise.”
The letter did not mention Peppa Pig by name, but Deadline said industry sources have confirmed it refers to that show.
The issue is one of consent. “Children cannot provide fully informed legal consent and a parent or guardian’s consent should never be used as a blanket license to capture, reproduce, train or reuse a child’s voice indefinitely,” the letter said. “Any agreement relating to a child’s voice should be completely exempt from all uses of artificial intelligence.”
Hasbro acknowledged the existence of the letter.
“Hasbro is aware of the open letter circulating regarding AI clauses in child performance contracts. We cannot comment on specific negotiations or contractual arrangements,” she said via email in response to an inquiry from CNET.
The playmaker spoke about the larger topic in general. “Protecting child performers is fundamental to Hasbro, and is part of our DNA. As industry standards around artificial intelligence continue to evolve, we are committed to addressing this issue in a responsible and transparent manner,” the statement said.
An AYPA representative told CNET that he has not confirmed the identity of the “international children’s franchise producing long-running animated television series” referred to in the letter, which did not name a specific studio or project.
“Here in the UK, children are not allowed to join Equity until the age of 10, however parents of child actors who are unable to join the union for support and guidance are required to sign away their rights. A no-AI clause should be standard in all contracts for child actors,” the AYPA email said.
The fraught relationship between artificial intelligence and Hollywood
The response to the reported contract wording is another episode in a turbulent saga around the use of artificial intelligence in films, television, music and video games. Deadline’s story appeared the same week as the film studio A24 announced a deal with Google DeepMind To develop AI filmmaking tools, a move that is having some impact Independent film fans see red.
Artificial intelligence has been the subject of Hollywood strikes About how technology is used in texts and replicate similarities between performers. As did artificial intelligence models It has become more sophisticatedIt has raised concerns about whether or when it will replace the work of talent and crew across film and television. AI can speed up production and save money for studios, but these efficiency gains could put many people in the entertainment industry out of work.
When artists or studios aren’t transparent about their use of AI, as happened last year with A.J Will Smith video Which included AI-generated concert footage, the backlash could be swift.
Music companies are also waging their own battles over AI deepfakes on music platforms and on social media as well License to use music Top artists for AI remixes, as does UMG.
The video game industry is also at a crossroads. Some studios and developers swear they don’t have any plans for it Use AI at any stage of game developmentwhile others are Deploying generative artificial intelligence To create game assets or Supplemental voice talent In their addresses.
