SAG-AFTRA ratifies new contracts for voice actors working in television animation. This happened after more than 95% of the union’s members supported the proposed terms, Engadget writes.

The agreements will be in effect until June 30, 2026 and introduce new protections against the use of artificial intelligence. They include a requirement that producers must obtain an actor’s consent before using his or her name as a cue to create a voice using AI.

The new contracts stipulate that the term “voice actor” will only refer to humans. The agreements also outline the rights of actors to use their digital replicas by studios.

They require producers to notify the union and negotiate with it whenever studios use “artificial” voices instead of actors’ voices. Among other things, the contracts also provide for wage increases.

SAG-AFTRA says that this agreement is an important step forward in expanding protections against the use of artificial intelligence.

Last year, strikes started in Hollywood related to the use of AI in work. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike in the spring, and in the fall won in negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Hollywood studios.

In the summer, the strike was announced by SAG-AFTRA, which also negotiated with film studios over actors’ working conditions. The strike lasted until November.