The Apex Times
Above the Noise
Culture Wire
CultureYMU Signs Hip-Hop Artist Krept, Former ‘Rap Game UK’ Host, for UK RepresentationThe Apex TimesCultureBarry Ward discusses work on “Everybody Digs Bill Evans,” “The Flying Mountain” and Netflix’s “Grown Ups” at Karlovy VaryThe Apex TimesCultureSam Neill’s Agent Says the Actor Died of Pneumonia, Citing “Outright Falsehoods” in Media ReportsThe Apex TimesCultureNew York Post review says Will Ferrell’s Netflix golf comedy series “The Hawk” misses the markThe Apex TimesCultureHal Williams, Actor Known for ‘Sanford and Son’ Officer ‘Smitty’ Smith, Dies at 91The Apex TimesCultureCalifornia antitrust case targeting Paramount-Skydance merger reassigned to new judge, hearing on temporary restraining order still scheduledThe Apex TimesCultureMatt Reeves posts first look at Robert Pattinson in “The Batman Part II” as sequel shifts to 2028The Apex TimesCultureCollin Gosselin to Return to Reality TV Ahead of Memoir Focused on Mom Kate, Reports SayThe Apex TimesCultureDaniel Umemezie named 2026-2027 National Youth Poet Laureate, using poetry to connect communitiesThe Apex TimesCultureJimmy Tatro joins DC’s Jimmy Olsen “Superman” spinoff as Gorilla Grodd, HBO Max series not yet greenlitThe Apex TimesCultureNetflix’s Vegas drama ‘The Roman’ adds Vincent D’Onofrio, Kate Mara, Clancy Brown, Thomas Sadoski and Jason SchwartzmanThe Apex TimesCultureBad Bunny asks court to overturn ruling advancing reggaeton copyright case toward jury trialThe Apex TimesCultureYMU Signs Hip-Hop Artist Krept, Former ‘Rap Game UK’ Host, for UK RepresentationThe Apex TimesCultureBarry Ward discusses work on “Everybody Digs Bill Evans,” “The Flying Mountain” and Netflix’s “Grown Ups” at Karlovy VaryThe Apex TimesCultureSam Neill’s Agent Says the Actor Died of Pneumonia, Citing “Outright Falsehoods” in Media ReportsThe Apex TimesCultureNew York Post review says Will Ferrell’s Netflix golf comedy series “The Hawk” misses the markThe Apex TimesCultureHal Williams, Actor Known for ‘Sanford and Son’ Officer ‘Smitty’ Smith, Dies at 91The Apex TimesCultureCalifornia antitrust case targeting Paramount-Skydance merger reassigned to new judge, hearing on temporary restraining order still scheduledThe Apex TimesCultureMatt Reeves posts first look at Robert Pattinson in “The Batman Part II” as sequel shifts to 2028The Apex TimesCultureCollin Gosselin to Return to Reality TV Ahead of Memoir Focused on Mom Kate, Reports SayThe Apex TimesCultureDaniel Umemezie named 2026-2027 National Youth Poet Laureate, using poetry to connect communitiesThe Apex TimesCultureJimmy Tatro joins DC’s Jimmy Olsen “Superman” spinoff as Gorilla Grodd, HBO Max series not yet greenlitThe Apex TimesCultureNetflix’s Vegas drama ‘The Roman’ adds Vincent D’Onofrio, Kate Mara, Clancy Brown, Thomas Sadoski and Jason SchwartzmanThe Apex TimesCultureBad Bunny asks court to overturn ruling advancing reggaeton copyright case toward jury trialThe Apex TimesCultureYMU Signs Hip-Hop Artist Krept, Former ‘Rap Game UK’ Host, for UK RepresentationThe Apex TimesCultureBarry Ward discusses work on “Everybody Digs Bill Evans,” “The Flying Mountain” and Netflix’s “Grown Ups” at Karlovy VaryThe Apex TimesCultureSam Neill’s Agent Says the Actor Died of Pneumonia, Citing “Outright Falsehoods” in Media ReportsThe Apex TimesCultureNew York Post review says Will Ferrell’s Netflix golf comedy series “The Hawk” misses the markThe Apex TimesCultureHal Williams, Actor Known for ‘Sanford and Son’ Officer ‘Smitty’ Smith, Dies at 91The Apex TimesCultureCalifornia antitrust case targeting Paramount-Skydance merger reassigned to new judge, hearing on temporary restraining order still scheduledThe Apex TimesCultureMatt Reeves posts first look at Robert Pattinson in “The Batman Part II” as sequel shifts to 2028The Apex TimesCultureCollin Gosselin to Return to Reality TV Ahead of Memoir Focused on Mom Kate, Reports SayThe Apex TimesCultureDaniel Umemezie named 2026-2027 National Youth Poet Laureate, using poetry to connect communitiesThe Apex TimesCultureJimmy Tatro joins DC’s Jimmy Olsen “Superman” spinoff as Gorilla Grodd, HBO Max series not yet greenlitThe Apex TimesCultureNetflix’s Vegas drama ‘The Roman’ adds Vincent D’Onofrio, Kate Mara, Clancy Brown, Thomas Sadoski and Jason SchwartzmanThe Apex TimesCultureBad Bunny asks court to overturn ruling advancing reggaeton copyright case toward jury trialThe Apex TimesCultureYMU Signs Hip-Hop Artist Krept, Former ‘Rap Game UK’ Host, for UK RepresentationThe Apex TimesCultureBarry Ward discusses work on “Everybody Digs Bill Evans,” “The Flying Mountain” and Netflix’s “Grown Ups” at Karlovy VaryThe Apex TimesCultureSam Neill’s Agent Says the Actor Died of Pneumonia, Citing “Outright Falsehoods” in Media ReportsThe Apex TimesCultureNew York Post review says Will Ferrell’s Netflix golf comedy series “The Hawk” misses the markThe Apex TimesCultureHal Williams, Actor Known for ‘Sanford and Son’ Officer ‘Smitty’ Smith, Dies at 91The Apex TimesCultureCalifornia antitrust case targeting Paramount-Skydance merger reassigned to new judge, hearing on temporary restraining order still scheduledThe Apex TimesCultureMatt Reeves posts first look at Robert Pattinson in “The Batman Part II” as sequel shifts to 2028The Apex TimesCultureCollin Gosselin to Return to Reality TV Ahead of Memoir Focused on Mom Kate, Reports SayThe Apex TimesCultureDaniel Umemezie named 2026-2027 National Youth Poet Laureate, using poetry to connect communitiesThe Apex TimesCultureJimmy Tatro joins DC’s Jimmy Olsen “Superman” spinoff as Gorilla Grodd, HBO Max series not yet greenlitThe Apex TimesCultureNetflix’s Vegas drama ‘The Roman’ adds Vincent D’Onofrio, Kate Mara, Clancy Brown, Thomas Sadoski and Jason SchwartzmanThe Apex TimesCultureBad Bunny asks court to overturn ruling advancing reggaeton copyright case toward jury trialThe Apex Times
Back to front
Agents of Young Performers Association says Hasbro TV contracts would let studios use child voice data for AI without meaningful consent
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Culture/The Apex Times/Jun 25, 1:25 PM EDT

Agents of Young Performers Association says Hasbro TV contracts would let studios use child voice data for AI without meaningful consent

In an open letter, the U.K.-based agents’ group warned against treating a parent or guardian’s approval as a permanent, blanket authorization for capturing, cloning, training, and reusing child performers’ voices in artificial intelligence systems.

2 min readEditor-approved Apex article

A U.K.-based performers’ association has raised concerns about the wording of rights agreements attached to children’s voice work used in television productions associated with Hasbro, alleging that some contracts seek to obtain broad permissions for artificial intelligence use of child performers’ voices.

In an open letter, the Agents of Young Performers Association said a parent or guardian’s approval “should never be used as a blanket licence to capture, clone, train, or reuse a child’s voice indefinitely,” framing the issue as one of consent, scope, and the duration of authorization tied to minor performers.

The group’s comments were published alongside reporting that characterizes the contracts as requiring child voice actors to sign away rights for AI use, with the central complaint being that the agreements would extend beyond the original recording and allow ongoing use of a child’s voice for AI training and reuse.

The association’s statement focuses on how rights are obtained for minors in voiceover work, particularly where AI systems could replicate or generate speech using archived audio. It argues that consent mechanisms intended to protect child performers should not be broadened in a way that permanently reshapes what minors (and their families) can control later.

While the letter centers on the concept of indefinite rights grants for AI, the reporting does not specify whether Hasbro has changed contract language in response, or whether any particular program, production, or distribution deal is affected. It also does not establish the precise legal form of the alleged permissions, such as whether they are tied to specific technologies or whether they include off-platform training or reuse.

The next steps, based on the association’s published position, appear to involve pressing for clearer limits on how child voices can be captured and reused for AI purposes, and for contracting practices that better reflect the special status of minors in entertainment work, including limits on indefinite authorization.

Why It Matters

  • The dispute highlights how consent for minor performers can be structured in ways that may affect long-term control over personal voice data used for AI generation and training.
  • If contract terms permit broad AI reuse, families and child actors could face difficult-to-reverse limitations on future voice use beyond the original performances.
  • The case underscores a broader industry challenge for entertainment labor and rights frameworks as studios and platforms adopt generative AI tools.
  • Contract wording that extends permissions indefinitely could shape negotiation leverage for agencies and performers in future voiceover and animation projects tied to children’s characters.

Sources

Key Facts

  • The Agents of Young Performers Association published an open letter expressing concerns about AI-related rights terms in television contracts tied to Hasbro.
  • The group alleged that child voice actors are asked to sign rights away for AI use under the contracts described.
  • The association said a parent or guardian’s approval should not serve as a blanket license to capture, clone, train, or reuse a child’s voice indefinitely.
  • The letter’s core issue is the scope and duration of authorization for minor performers’ voices used in AI systems.
  • The published account does not detail Hasbro’s response or any specific contract amendments in the reporting cited here.
Agents of Young Performers Association says Hasbro TV contracts would let studios use child voice data for AI without meaningful consent | The Apex Times