Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Andrew Sanford | News | June 26, 2026
My kids are little hams. That should come as no surprise, given who their parents are, but it’s been fantastic to watch unfold regardless. They love doing voices, reciting lines from movies and shows, and singing songs. They both acted in a little short film I made last weekend (mostly off-camera and in voice-over roles), did a great job, and had lots of fun. I’m a performer through and through, so I’m thrilled to see them take to it so well. But I’m more than apprehensive about them doing anything in the field while they’re still so young.
I’m certainly open to it. It could be a lot of fun to bring them more into my world, and, if it’s something they found themselves not enjoying, we’d simply stop. Also, I’m not just assuming my kids would get all of the best opportunities, but the idea of them not having a regular childhood so that they can be on a set for most of their young lives is not enticing. But those are all of the normal concerns. The biggest would be keeping people from taking advantage of my children.
And look, that’s a big part of a parent’s job, whether their kids are on television or not. But things are heightened when you involve other people’s money. There are also people in power who will do awful stuff to the folks who work for them, regardless of age. Still, I wouldn’t want to be one of those people who call it “Hollyweird” and act like we’re constantly under threat. You just have to keep your guard up, like in any business world, and make sure that some toy company isn’t trying to feed your kids’ voices to a machine.
That’s what has happened at Hasbro, which owns Peppa Pig (much to my surprise). The company recently put language in contracts for children that would allow their voice to be used for AI, according to Deadline. One of the bleakest aspects of this nonsense is that what the AI actually is doesn’t seem to be defined. The kids would just be signing their voices away to… whatever. Obviously, they are already signing their voices over in some capacity to be on the show, but that is with specific guidelines as to how they would be used. This other vague nonsense is creepy as hell.
Luckily, Agents have started calling on studios to introduce anti-AI language worked into contracts, so studios can’t do exactly what Hasbro is trying. Also, according to Deadline, the AYPA (Agents of Young Performers Association) is calling out the deal publicly, rightfully noting that no child would be able to understand what they are signing up for. Parents might not even understand the scope. AI has become so prevalent in the zeitgeist despite not proving its worth in the slightest, that folks could end up duped without even realizing it.
This kind of stuff is going to get worse before it gets better, but I am happy to see folks who have sway decide to put their foot down. AYPA represents a lot of Agents, and this kind of pressure will hopefully push things in a better direction. Hasbro has said in a statement that it is willing to figure this out in a “transparent” manner, but it should not be given the benefit of the doubt. This wasn’t some little oversight. It was a bad decision, and left unchecked it would lead to others.
