Hasbro's AI Voice Grab from Child Actors Sparks Industry-Wide Revolt
Finn's Take· TL;DR- Hasbro requiring child voice actors on Peppa Pig to sign perpetual AI voice-cloning rights as mandatory contract terms, sparking industry outrage.
- Nearly 1,000 industry professionals condemn the practice, arguing children cannot provide informed consent to indefinitely commercialize their voices before understanding consequences.
- AI voice cloning allows studios to bypass recasting as children age, creating cost savings but potentially blocking young actors from future voice-work opportunities.
A Children's Show at the Center of a Grown-Up Fight
Hasbro, the U.S. entertainment giant that acquired the Peppa Pig brand in 2019, is asking child actors on the animated series to sign over their voices to artificial intelligence under new contract terms. The controversy has ignited one of the most emotionally charged debates in the ongoing battle between the entertainment industry and AI — because this time, the performers caught in the middle are children.
Nearly 1,000 actors, talent agents, parents, and others have signed an open letter organized by the Agents of Young Performers Association (AYPA) condemning contract clauses that mandate children sign their voices over to be used by AI. The open letter refers to "a major studio who owns the IP for an international children's franchise producing a long running animated television series" — and while Hasbro was not named directly, the company gave a statement acknowledging it was "aware of the open letter circulating regarding AI clauses in children's performance contracts," notably without denying it was the subject.
Take It or Leave It — Even If You're Six Years Old
Hasbro has allegedly required child voice actors on Peppa Pig to sign contracts granting the studio perpetual AI voice rights, including the ability to clone and commercially reuse those voices. The terms were presented as a "take-it-or-leave-it" condition to families, and refusal could cost young performers work, per industry insiders. That's a brutal ultimatum for any performer. For a child — or more accurately, their parents — it's an impossible one.
It remains unclear which Peppa Pig actor's voice was licensed for the AI replica; Harriette Cox, who took over the role last year, has not commented. The clause could theoretically give Hasbro the power to clone a child's voice and then use the AI-generated audio across all Peppa Pig commercial assets. Because shows want to keep the same sound as long as they run, and children's voices change as they age, studios are attempting to combat this with AI — a cost-saving workaround that critics say crosses a serious ethical line.
The commercial stakes are clear: during Axios' AI+NY summit earlier this month, Hasbro AI Studio CEO Bertie Thomson and ElevenLabs' head of partnerships Dustin Blank spoke alongside an AI demo replica of the famed British cartoon during a conversation about licensing several Hasbro characters to the AI audio firm for commercial purposes. The deal between Hasbro's AI studio, Sixth Wall, and ElevenLabs would offer select Hasbro characters as part of the company's Iconic Marketplace, making a total of 12 characters — along with their voices and likenesses — available for licensing for commercial use.
Why Child Advocates Say This Is Different
Advocates argue that where the performer is a child, consent must be treated with the greatest of care — and that children cannot provide fully informed legal consent, meaning a parent or guardian's approval should never be used as a blanket license to capture, clone, train, or reuse a child's voice indefinitely. The open letter puts it plainly: "No child should have their future professional identity shaped by an AI model created before they were old enough to understand its consequences. Their voice should not become a permanent commercial asset before they have the legal and personal capacity to decide for themselves."
The concern is concrete: if a child's voice is recorded at ten and used forever, they could end up competing against themselves for voice-acting jobs in the future. Parents may sign contracts on behalf of their children, but AI introduces a contract that outlives childhood — one that could even outlive the child. It's a dimension of AI rights that adult performers haven't had to grapple with in quite the same way.
Hasbro's Response and What Comes Next
A Hasbro spokesperson said the company is "aware of the open letter" but is "not able to comment on specific negotiations or contractual arrangements," adding that "the protection of child performers is core to who Hasbro is" and that it is "committed to engaging with this issue in a responsible and transparent manner." That carefully worded non-denial has done little to quiet critics.
Industry sources say AI clauses are now frequently appearing in kids' contracts on TV and film projects, but Hasbro's embrace of the terms on Peppa Pig has become a lightning rod for concern. Peppa Pig debuted in 2004 and has since become an international phenomenon, with films, albums, merchandise, and theme park experiences — making it one of the highest-profile battlegrounds yet for this fight. Whether Hasbro revises its contracts or digs in, the industry is watching. The question of who owns a child's voice — and for how long — isn't going away.