Hasbro is requesting child actors who voice characters in the animated series Peppa Pig to sign new contracts permitting the company to use artificial intelligence to reproduce their voices for all commercial assets within the franchise [1, 2, 3]. The long-running British children’s TV show first aired in 2004 and has produced over 400 episodes featuring many child actors [1, 2].
The Actors of Young Performers Association has issued an open letter opposing the inclusion of AI voice usage clauses in these contracts. It argues that children cannot provide informed legal consent for such uses and demands these clauses be removed. More than 1,000 industry performers have signed this letter so far [1, 3]. The association stated, "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" [1].
Hasbro acknowledged awareness of the open letter but declined to comment on the specifics of the contracts. A company spokesperson said, "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" [1]. Hasbro also owns other major franchises including Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering [3].
The issue surfaced in 2026 as Hasbro implemented this policy for Peppa Pig’s child voice actors, sparking industry debate over children’s rights and the use of AI in entertainment [1, 2, 3]. The actors’ group demands Hasbro retract the AI clauses to protect vulnerable performers.
The coming months may see further discussions or negotiations as the company and performers engage on AI use policies and contract terms.
