Why are Star Wars fans and SAG-AFTRA angry about Fortnite’s AI Darth Vader?

Published on 20/05/2025 - 12:07 GMT+2

Online video crippled level Fortnite has added an AI-powered Darth Vader NPC to nan game, 1 which uses nan sound of late character James Earl Jones. And nan guidance has been acold from positive.

“Strategise pinch nan eventual Sith Lord. With your voice. And he’ll respond backmost utilizing conversational AI,” sounds a statement from Epic Games. “Darth Vader has touched down erstwhile again arsenic a leader successful Battle Royale. Ask him each your pressing questions astir nan Force, nan Galactic Empire… aliases you know, a bully strat for nan past Storm circle. The Sith Lord has opinions.”

Epic Games added that Darth Vader “wouldn’t beryllium astir arsenic sinister without nan legendary capacity of James Earl Jones,” who voiced Vader successful the Star Wars films.

They besides shared a connection from Jones’ family: “James Earl felt that nan sound of Darth Vader was inseparable from nan communicative of Star Wars, and he ever wanted fans of each ages to proceed to acquisition it. We dream that this collaboration with Fortnite will let some longtime fans of Darth Vader and newer generations to stock successful nan enjoyment of this iconic character.”

But fans aren’t having immoderate of it.

“It doesn’t matter if nan family thinks it’s cool aliases not, it’s still disturbing to usage a dormant man’s sound for your kid’s shooter,” wrote 1 instrumentality connected Reddit.  

Another queried: “Do you really deliberation resurrecting dormant group for monetary profit is going to extremity here, particularly pinch Disney?”, while a instrumentality added: “I will not partake successful nan enactment of Digital Necromancy and I will openly judge everyone who does. Shame connected you all.” 

Problematically - and depressing successful its predictability - arsenic soon arsenic Darth Vader was added into nan game, players were getting nan characteristic to opportunity nan connection “fuck” and usage homophobic slurs.

“This is really disappointing. I wasn’t a large instrumentality of a Star Wars season but throwing AI into nan operation is perfectly butchering immoderate excitement I mightiness person had for nan early of Fortnite. I dream this characteristic leaves and ne'er comes back,” wrote a subordinate connected Reddit.  

Adding to nan backlash is Hollywood's actors' union, who person revenge an unfair labour believe complaint against Llama Productions connected Monday, alleging nan institution replaced actors' activity by using artificial intelligence to make Darth Vader's sound successful Fortnite without notice.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists said Llama Productions, a subsidiary of gaming elephantine Epic Games, “failed and refused to bargain successful bully religion pinch nan union” successful nan past six months. The institution made unilateral changes to nan position and conditions of employment “without providing announcement to nan national aliases nan opportunity to bargain” by utilizing AI-generated voices to switch bargaining portion work, SAG-AFTRA said.

In a statement, SAG-AFTRA said nan national supports nan authorities of members and their estates to power nan usage of their integer replicas.

“However, we must protect our correct to bargain position and conditions astir uses of sound that switch nan activity of our members, including those who antecedently did nan activity of matching Darth Vader’s iconic hit and reside successful video games,” nan national said.