EXCLUSIVE: Child talent agents are urging studios and producers to embed explicit non‑AI provisions in contracts after the backlash surrounding the use of AI in the Peppa Pig franchise.
The UK‑based Agents of Young Performers Association (AYPA) is advocating for contract language that expressly prohibits studios from capturing, cloning, training on, or reusing a child’s voice without consent.
The AYPA, which represents over 40 agents, argues that children are unable to give fully informed legal consent to the use of AI that exploits their voice or likeness.
The association also notes that parents or guardians are not always fully aware of the implications of such clauses and may feel pressured to sign under fear of their child missing opportunities.
This development follows Deadline’s report that Hasbro has requested child performers on its animated series to grant AI usage rights to their voices as part of recent contract revisions.
The AYPA observes that such non‑AI clauses are increasingly standard across the entertainment sector, sometimes extending to image rights in modeling engagements.
‘It should not even be up for discussion,’ says AYPA co‑chair Sarah Macdonnell, founder of Ardent Talent. “Every agent is pushing to insert non‑AI clauses into contracts, and the fight is intense.”
She added: “We risk stripping a child’s identity and embedding it in a machine without transparency. Where does that voice end up, and who controls its future use?”
Earlier this week the AYPA published an open letter stating, “No child should have their future professional identity shaped by an AI model created before they are old enough to understand its implications.”
The organization plans to bring the issue to the attention of UK authorities—including the Department for Education and the National Network for Children in Employment and Entertainment—seeking stronger protections for young performers.
Other voices have joined the chorus. On Instagram, actress Charity Wakefield of The Great posted “No No No,” while Jo Frost, star of Supernanny, called the practice “deplorable.”
In response to the Peppa Pig controversy, Hasbro said, “We are aware of the circulating open letter concerning AI clauses in children’s performance contracts and cannot comment on specific negotiations or contractual arrangements.”
‘The protection of child performers is core to our identity,’ the company added. “As AI standards evolve, we remain committed to addressing the issue responsibly and transparently.”