Until now, the biggest controversy in the 21-year history of wholesome children's animation Peppa Pig was the time Australia banned an episode called Mister Skinnylegs on the grounds that it encouraged children to befriend spiders. That seemed like harsh censorship when you consider the human-animal relationships in some Disney movies, but then you really don't want kids adopting Sydney funnel-webs as pets.
Now on its 11th season, the British animation is facing a very different kind of controversy: one that reveals deep tensions around the use of artificial intelligence in animation and children’s entertainment.
Warning: Do not watch the video below if you are in Australia.
What's the Peppa Pig AI controversy?
It's emerged that Hasbro, the US toy and entertainment giant that bought the Peppa Pig brand in 2019, has introduced new contract terms that require the show's child actors to sign over the rights to use their voices for AI training.
Industry insiders say such clauses are already becoming common across film and television. There's also been controversy around animators being told their work will be used to train a studios' AI models (see the Amazon GenAI Creators' Fund debacle). What's sparked alarm with Peppa Pig is the use of child actors from one of the world’s most recognisable children’s shows.
The Agents of Young Performers Association (AYPA) warns that such clauses could allow companies to clone a child’s voice and reuse it indefinitely in commercial material. Opponents argue that children are too young to provide fully informed consent to such an agreement and that parental approval shouldn't serve as a blanket licence for AI training or replication.
As reported by Deadline, nearly 1,000 people have signed an open letter drafted by the AYPA that condemns AI clauses in an unspecified “international children’s franchise.” While the letter does not name Peppa Pig, the animated series appears to be what provoked the letter.
“Any agreement involving a child’s voice should be fully exempt from all AI usage,” the letter states. “No child should have their future professional identity shaped by an AI model created before they were old enough to understand its consequences.”
While generative AI is already causing deep tensions with privacy and copyright laws (see the recent documentary on the AI divide among creatives), the Peppa Pig controversy shows things can get even murkier when minors are involved.
The AYPA says agents are increasingly seeking its advice on AI clauses. It's concerned that they're often presented as non-optional, with children losing work opportunities if families refuse to sign them.
As for Hasbro's response, a statement reads: “The protection of child performers is core to who Hasbro is, it’s part of our DNA. As industry standards around AI continue to evolve, we are committed to engaging with this issue in a responsible and transparent manner.”
