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Actors’ union SAG-AFTRA has formally accused Llama Productions, a subsidiary of Epic Games, of violating labor rights by deploying AI to replicate James Earl Jones’ iconic portrayal of Darth Vader in Fortnite.
The union filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) as the strike by video game and voice actors continues into its ninth month. According to the BBC, SAG-AFTRA alleges that Llama Productions made decisions affecting employment terms without consultation, stating the company used synthetic voice technologies that circumvent standard union agreements and replaced union-performed work without bargaining or notice.
Darth Vader returns to Fortnite with AI voice
Darth Vader returns in a Star Wars-themed Fortnite Battle Royale mini-season that was launched last week. In the game, the Sith Lord is the boss and players can fight, recruit, and interact with him using conversational AI.
“Be the first to recruit him and your whole team will be able to take turns talking to the Dark Lord,” The Fortnite Team said in a May 16 blog as part of the game’s promotion.
“Darth Vader wouldn’t be nearly as sinister without the legendary performance of James Earl Jones, who voiced Vader in the Star Wars films. We’re honored to feature the voice of the late Mr. Jones and we thank his estate for the opportunity to make this happen for players,” Fortnite added.
In the Fortnite Team’s FAQ, they state: “The dialogue of Darth Vader’s responses is AI generated using Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash model, and the audio itself is generated by ElevenLabs’ Flash v2.5 model.”
Before his death in 2024 at 93, Jones had agreed to allow archival voice recordings from the Star Wars films to be used in future Lucasfilm projects.
Jones’ estate approved the use of his voice in the game. In a public statement attributed to the family, they said: “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.”
SAG-AFTRA calls for greater oversight of AI voice use
While the union acknowledges that members and their families have the right to control digital replicas, SAG-AFTRA argues that broader protections are necessary.
“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 in a statement as quoted by The Verge.
Disney, Lucasfilm, and Epic Games said the Jones’ family permitted Fortnite to use the late actor’s voice. However, SAG-AFTRA contends that union clearance is still necessary for such implementations, and that Epic “chose to replace the work of human performers with AI technology.”
The rise of generative AI in video games has heightened tensions in the industry, with many performers warning that it threatens to diminish the demand for human talent in voice acting.