Some UK video game actors have said they wish they could strike in solidarity with their American counterparts.

Voice actors connected to the SAG-Aftra union have refused to work with companies such as Activision, Disney, Warner Bros and EA since July over issues such as the use of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI).

The two sides returned to the negotiating table, but there was no major breakthrough and the talks were extended.

While the impact on gamers has been limited so far, partly due to the time it takes to make successful games, it has affected voice talent in the UK.

Those playing the popular action RPG Genshin Impact may have noticed the absence of English voice acting in the latest story update.

It’s the first game that fans suspect has been hit by the ongoing voice actor strikes.

The producers, miHoYo, only commented that it was due to “recording arrangements”.

Actor Doug Cockle, best known for playing Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher series, says he supports the strikes but is not a member of SAG-Aftra because it is based in the UK.

“Some studios stopped making their games, so the voice industry immediately slowed down,” he told BBC Newsbeat.

“The actors at SAG-Aftra are not only striking for themselves, but also for the creative industries (worldwide).

“If they can get a good deal, this could be a template for other industries.”

It’s something that Harry McEntire, who you may recognize as Noah in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, agrees with.

“I think it’s so fantastic that (actors) in the US are doing what they’re doing at the moment,” he says.

“As with many things, as it happens in the US, so it follows everywhere.

“If they can start to put those things in place, it can become standard in the industry, not just in the US.”

Harry adds that he is frustrated that UK actors have not been able to strike in solidarity because “there is no legal backing for it”.

SAG-Aftra and 10 game companies are struggling to agree on how Gen AI should be allowed to be used in games in the future, particularly when it comes to voice generation.

Next generation AI systems, whether designed to produce text, images or audio, do not create anything from scratch, but are trained on existing material.

These can include words, images and, in the case of actors, performances.

The gaming industry he fought around the world, many are losing their jobs even as games get bigger.

Some studios see AI as a way to cut costs, which has the potential for fewer human voice actors.

“I don’t really understand why you would use AI for creativity,” Harry says.

“Why would we want to take something that is so human and is about inspiration and brilliance and collective energy and say ‘let’s see if we can run this through a computer program?’

Alex Jordan, who is part of Cyberpunk 2077 games, believes that if Gen AI becomes the norm, it could have a negative impact in the long run.

“I think if we don’t take solid action soon, we’re going to see a kind of creativity void going forward.

“We will have to work hard to correct this.”

The video game companies involved in the negotiations previously told Newsbeat that they “worked hard to deliver proposals on reasonable terms”.

“This protects the rights of performing artists while ensuring we can continue to use the most advanced technology to create a great gaming experience for fans,” said spokesperson Audrey Cooling.

“The robust AI protections we have provided are fully in line with or better than other entertainment industry agreements the union has signed.”

Alex says he supports the SAG-Aftra strikers and regularly contacts the union.

He also says he is not helping with any promotion of a new game in solidarity with his fellow strikers in America.

Alex says he’s frustrated that the strikes haven’t been resolved yet.

“If we can’t move forward, it’s going to hurt the people at the bottom of the ladder.”

Harry, Alex and Doug were speaking at London Comic Con – where more than 100,000 fans visited for the chance to dress up, play new games and meet their favorite voice actors – some standing in line for a long time.

“The most important thing that AI will never be able to do is interact with the community,” says Alex.

“AI will never be able to sit down and engage with people who really love work at a human level and share that passion.

“And people who are really passionate about things want to share that passion with others.”

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