French Apex Legends Player Rejects Contracts Over “Unacceptable” AI Terms
“We are being urged to harm our own interests. We are being asked to endorse AI,” the performer states.
The ensemble of voice actors that brings Apex Legends’ characters to life in French has reportedly declined to sign contracts that would permit their voices to be used for AI development.
Pascale Chemin – who has voiced French Wraith since the battle royale’s launch in 2019 – did not explicitly mention publisher Respawn or EA in her statement on Facebook, but confirmed that she and 31 other voice actors have refused to sign agreements prior to a recording session.
“Before I was even invited to a recording session for the video game, the studio sent me (and the 31 other VAs in the casting) an email with a confidentiality annex and a transfer directly from the publisher,” Chemin wrote, as translated by ResetEra (via PCGamesInsider).
“I was required to agree to these terms before I could start working. I thought so when I read through them, and a legal expert specializing in audiovisual matters confirmed it: these conditions were unacceptable. I was compelled to give up the role I had dedicated almost six years to. I couldn’t pressure the other members of the cast to do the same, but one thing was clear: if we all stood together, it could potentially make a difference. Otherwise, it would have been futile.”
Chemin noted that “without any doubt,” all 32 cast members rejected their contracts and composed a “collective letter of refusal” to the publisher, widely believed to be EA.
“If we aren’t united now in demanding a clause that safeguards our voices to be officially included in our contracts – not just for us, but for all video game dubbing studios – we will never achieve it, and we are heading toward a crisis.”
“Naturally, to decline work today is absurd. There is hardly any employment available for many of us, if any at all, and we are increasingly facing financial difficulties,” Chemin continued.
“Yes, a salary…