More than 900 people out of the U.K. have signed an open letter condemning the use of AI clauses in contracts for child voice actors, calling the requirement unacceptable and irresponsible as it becomes more popular in the entertainment industry.
The Monday message from the Agents of Young Performers Association warns that “a major studio who owns the IP for an international children’s franchise producing a long-running animated television series” is refusing to remove an artificial intelligence clause from its paperwork, despite the children involved being too young to understand the potential consequences.
While the letter does not name any show specifically, “Peppa Pig” producer Hasbro Entertainment issued the following statement on Thursday: “Hasbro is aware of the open letter circulating regarding AI clauses in children’s performance contracts. We are not able to comment on specific negotiations or contractual arrangements.”
“The protection of child performers is core to who Hasbro is, it’s part of our DNA,” the company spokesperson continued. “As industry standards around AI continue to evolve, we are committed to engaging with this issue in a responsible and transparent manner.”
TheWrap also reached out to Hasbro, but the company was unable to comment further on specific contractual arrangements.
Check out the AYPA open letter in full, below:
“To studio executives, producers, casting teams, commissioners and all those shaping the future of recorded performance,
We write at a moment when artificial intelligence is already the topic of much dispute, discussion and grave concerns throughout the industry.
Most recently, a major studio who owns the IP for an international children’s franchise producing a long-running animated television series has offered contracts to child voice actors insisting that they agree to the use of AI, thus allowing them to use the child’s voice in all commercial assets within their franchise. The refusal to remove this clause with an attitude of ‘take it or leave it’ has led us write this letter to make it clear that this will not be accepted and to bring this matter to the attention of the wider industry.
Where the performer is a child, consent must be treated with the greatest of care. Children cannot provide fully informed legal consent and a parent or guardian’s approval should never be used as a blanket license to capture, clone, train or reuse a child’s voice indefinitely.
Any agreement involving a child’s voice should be fully exempt from all AI usage. No child should have their future professional identity shaped by an AI model created before they were old enough to understand its consequences. Their voice should not become a permanent commercial asset before they have the legal and personal capacity to decide for themselves.
We the undersigned urge you to commit to responsible industry practice. Collectively, we reject all contracts that require child performers to surrender voice rights indefinitely and without limits.”
