Hasbro Faces Backlash Over Reports It Asked Child Actors to Sign Away Voice Rights to AI

Last updated: October 6, 2026

Reports have surfaced that a major entertainment company is requiring child voice actors to agree to AI use of their voices as a condition of employment. An open letter from the Agents of Young Performers Association, signed by over 1,000 performers and advocates, describes contracts offered by "a major studio who owns the IP for an international children's franchise" that demand AI voice rights on a "take it or leave it" basis. Deadline reporting links the letter to Peppa Pig, which is owned by Hasbro. The company declined to address the specific allegations, issuing a statement that child performer protections are "core to who we are."

Hasbro's recent history provides context for the scrutiny. The company sent Pinkerton agents after someone who leaked Magic: The Gathering cards, laid off 1,100 workers—including staff who helped produce Baldur's Gate 3—and has pursued aggressive anti-union tactics while its CEO has publicly championed AI adoption.

What Hasbro said

Hasbro did not address the specific contract allegations. Its statement to Deadline called child performer protections "core to who Hasbro is" and said the company is "committed to engaging with this issue in a responsible and transparent manner." The open letter argues that refusing to remove the AI clause while maintaining a take-it-or-leave-it posture forced their hand.

Our analysis

The open letter's complaint is narrow but the implications ripple outward. Adult voice actors required years of strikes to negotiate AI protections into contracts—protections they have the use to enforce because they can withhold labor. Children cannot strike. They rarely have legal representation reviewing contracts. They sign what their parents sign, and once a voice is recorded and model training begins, the original performance becomes inseparable from future generations of synthetic output.

For Hasbro's broader ambitions, the timing is inconvenient. The company is rebuilding after layoffs gutted internal studios and cancelled projects, including a game from the director of Jedi: Fallen Order. The next time Hasbro recruits senior voice talent for a D&D adaptation or Magic tie-in, casting directors will reference this story. So will the unions that represent adult performers.

Who should care:

• Child performers and their families** — Understand what AI voice clauses mean before signing anything. The contract language described in the letter grants perpetual commercial rights to a minor's voice.
• Adult voice actors and SAG-AFTRA** — The precedent matters. If studios succeed extracting AI rights from children without pushback, it weakens use for adult performers in future negotiations.
• Hasbro's investors** — Reputational risk is real. Hasbro's stock has struggled; a sustained boycott or talent boycott adds pressure.
• Gaming industry at large** — Studios are watching to see if this contract language becomes standard or triggers regulatory backlash.

What to watch next

Watch for the Agents of Young Performers Association to name the studio explicitly if the contract language does not change. Watch for SAG-AFTRA or equivalent unions to respond formally. And watch for Hasbro's next earnings call—investors may ask leadership directly about the company's AI voice policy.

Key takeaways

• An open letter alleges that studios owning major children's franchises are requiring child performers to consent to AI use of their voices.
• Deadline reporting links the letter to Peppa Pig, owned by Hasbro. Hasbro has not addressed the specific claims.
• The practice differs from adult negotiations because child performers lack collective bargaining power and often sign contracts through parents.
• The controversy could complicate Hasbro's ability to recruit voice talent for its remaining game properties.