Video game performers are on strike — and AI is the sticking point

If you're not entrenched in the world of video games, you might not realize how much real actors have to do with modern gaming. They provide everything from lines of dialogue, to portraying heroes and villains, to performing stunts – all of this bringing video games characters to life. Some of the biggest game studios rely on voice and performance capture artists, and all this adds up to big bucks. The video game industry made close to $185 billion last year. But video game performers whose human performances become computer data, are especially vulnerable to being replaced by generative AI. Which is why they're now on strike. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This , sign up for Consider This + via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy