SAG-AFTRA files labor complaint over AI-recreated Darth Vader voice in Fortnite

SAG-AFTRA‘s dispute with Epic Games over the AI recreation of James Earl Jones’ Darth Vader voice in Fortnite highlights the emerging tensions between AI technology and performers’ rights in entertainment. The conflict centers on the use of voice recreation technology without union negotiation, despite family permission, revealing the complex intersection of legacy rights management, AI development, and labor protections in the evolving digital entertainment landscape.

The dispute: SAG-AFTRA has filed an unfair labor practice complaint against Epic Games’ Llama Productions for using AI to recreate James Earl Jones’ Darth Vader voice in Fortnite without union negotiation.

• The actors union claims Epic “chose to replace the work of human performers with AI technology” for the Star Wars-themed Fortnite Battle Royale mini-season without providing notice or bargaining over appropriate terms.
• The complaint was filed with the National Labor Relations Board amid an ongoing strike by SAG-AFTRA members against several game companies, including Epic’s Llama Productions, that began in July 2024.

Competing permissions: Jones’ family had granted permission for the voice recreation, creating a conflict between family authorization and union requirements.

• Jones, who died in 2024 at age 93, had previously signed an agreement allowing his archival voice recordings to be used to recreate his younger voice for future Lucasfilm projects.
• “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,” his family stated regarding the Fortnite collaboration.

Union’s position: SAG-AFTRA acknowledges the importance of digital legacy rights while insisting on protecting collective bargaining authority.

• “We celebrate the right of our members and their estates to control the use of their digital replicas,” the union stated, while emphasizing they “must protect our right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our members.”
• The union specifically referenced those “who previously did the work of matching Darth Vader’s iconic rhythm and tone in video games” as being affected by the AI replacement.

The implementation: Epic Games introduced the AI-powered Darth Vader character to Fortnite on May 16, allowing players to interact with the character using conversational AI.

• The feature lets players “scheme with the ultimate Sith Lord and speak with him using conversational AI,” according to Epic’s announcement.
• Disney noted that when players talk to the Darth Vader character, Epic “securely processes the voice audio to generate Vader’s responses, but audio and transcriptions of the conversation are not stored.”

Why this matters: The case represents a significant test of how digital rights, AI voice recreation, and labor agreements will function in the entertainment industry’s evolving technological landscape.

• The dispute highlights tensions between family wishes, corporate interests, and union protections as AI increasingly enables the recreation of iconic performances.
• The outcome could establish important precedents for how performers’ voices and likenesses are managed posthumously in interactive entertainment.