Hasbro faces backlash over AI voice contracts for children

The owner of the popular animated series "Peppa Pig" is facing significant industry pushback after reportedly requiring child voice actors to sign contracts allowing for artificial intelligence to clone and use their voices indefinitely. The controversy centers on new contract terms from Hasbro, the U.S. toy and entertainment giant that owns the franchise, which would permit the company to use AI-generated versions of the young performers' voices across all commercial assets.

The dispute came to light through an open letter from the U.K.-based Agents of Young Performers Association (AYPA), a group representing child performers. While the letter did not name a specific studio or project, describing only "a major studio who owns the IP for an international children's franchise producing a long running animated television series," industry sources confirmed it refers to "Peppa Pig." The letter, signed by nearly 1,000 industry professionals and members of the public, states that such AI clauses are often presented as a "take it or leave it" ultimatum to parents and guardians.

The core argument from the AYPA is that children cannot provide fully informed legal consent. The letter...