Lightspeed L.A. Secures New Agreement with SAG-AFTRA to Strengthen AI Protections for Actors

Lightspeed L.A., a game development studio part of Tencent’s Lightspeed studio group, has entered into an agreement with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) to implement AI protections for its upcoming games.

This agreement, finalized today after negotiations between Lightspeed L.A. and SAG-AFTRA representatives, enables Lightspeed to hire union actors for its in-development and future projects. Notably, the studio can continue to employ union workers even if SAG-AFTRA goes on strike, a decision the guild voted on just over a month ago.

The strike concerns the use of generative AI in video games, which poses a risk to jobs traditionally held by actors. While Lightspeed L.A. is adopting protections requested by the union, further details about the specifics of the agreement have not been disclosed.

Currently, Lightspeed L.A. is developing "Last Sentinel," a neo-futuristic apocalyptic game that ironically unfolds in a world overwhelmed by technology. The game was first unveiled with a CG trailer at The Game Awards in 2023. The agreement with SAG-AFTRA will apply to "Last Sentinel" as well as future projects from the studio.

(Note: A previous version inaccurately categorized Lightspeed L.A. under the Lightspeed & Quantum Studio group. This has been corrected.)