Are Peppa Pig Child Voice Actors Being Forced Into Hasbro's AI Slop?

Posted in: streaming, TV, YouTube | Tagged: ai, peppa pig

Are Peppa Pig Child Voice Actors Being Forced Into Hasbro's AI Slop?

Report: Hasbro offered "take it or leave it" contracts to child actors on Peppa Pig, requiring them to sign away their voice rights for AI.

Published Thu, 25 Jun 2026 16:08:09 -0500
by Ray Flook
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Article Summary

• Peppa Pig is at the center of a report that child voice actors were asked to sign away their voices for AI use.
• Deadline says sources identified Peppa Pig after an open letter accused a major kids franchise of “take it or leave it” AI contracts.
• AYPA argues child performers should be fully exempt from AI, warning cloned voices could become permanent commercial assets.
• Hasbro declined to discuss specific Peppa Pig negotiations but says it will handle AI and child performer protections responsibly.

Earlier this month, we learned that "Transformers'" Optimus Prime and Megatron, "G.I. Joe's" Cobra Commander, Mr. Potato Head, Peppa Pig, and the characters from Monopoly and Clue (like Mr. Monopoly) were being thrown into the AI slop with the news of a new deal between Hasbro's AI studio, Sixth Wall, and AI audio company ElevenLabs to offer select Hasbro characters as part of the company's Iconic Marketplace. What that means is that a total of 12 characters – along with their celebrity voices and likenesses – will be made available for licensing for commercial use. It's that last part, involving the voices of the original characters, that's getting Hasbro in some serious hot water with Peppa Pig fans and opponents of AI.

Though not specifically naming the hit animated series, the Agents of Young Performers Association (AYPA) released an open letter signed by nearly 1,000 people at the time of this writing alledging that "a major studio who owns the IP for an international children's franchise producing a long running animated television series" is asking child actors on the animated series to sign over their voice rights to AI under terms of a new deal. Deadline Hollywood is reporting that sources have confirmed that the series in question is Peppa Pig.

"Most recently, a major studio who owns the IP for an international children's franchise producing a long running animated television series has offered contracts to child voice actors insisting that they agree to the use of AI thus allowing them to use the child's voice in all commercial assets within their franchise," the letter reads at one point, accusing the new contracts of forcing a "take it or leave it" pressure on parents." AYPA argues that child voice actors should be "fully exempt" from AI consideration. "No child should have their future professional identity shaped by an AI model created before they were old enough to understand its consequences," the letter continues. "Their voice should not become a permanent commercial asset before they have the legal and personal capacity to decide for themselves."

"Hasbro is aware of the open letter circulating regarding AI clauses in children's performance contracts. We are not able to comment on specific negotiations or contractual arrangements," shared a spokesperson from Hasbro, in response to the reporting. "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." Here's a look at the open letter, first reported by Deadline Hollywood:

AYPA Open Letter On AI Clauses In Kids Contracts:
To studio executives, producers, casting teams, commissioners, and all those shaping the future of recorded performance.
We write at a moment when artificial intelligence is already the topic of much dispute, discussion and grave concerns throughout the industry.
Most recently, a major studio who owns the IP for an international children's franchise producing a long running animated television series has offered contracts to child voice actors insisting that they agree to the use of AI thus allowing them to use the child's voice in all commercial assets within their franchise. The refusal to remove this clause with an attitude of 'take it or leave it' has led us write this letter to make it clear that this will not be accepted and to bring this matter to the attention of the wider industry.
Where the performer is a child, consent must be treated with the greatest of care. Children cannot provide fully informed legal consent and 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.
Any agreement involving a child's voice should be fully exempt from all AI usage. 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.
We the undersigned urge you to commit to responsible industry practice. Collectively, we reject all contracts that require child performers to surrender voice rights indefinitely and without limits.

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