The AI behind Fortnite’s Darth Vader is stirring major drama with the Screen Actors Guild. Epic Games launched the AI-powered Darth Vader voice using the late James Earl Jones’ likeness. Even though Epic got the green light from Jones’ estate, SAG claims Epic sidestepped unions and broke labor deals by not notifying or negotiating.
This spat echoes a sci-fi vision from Neal Stephenson’s 1995 novel The Diamond Age, where an AI “Primer” teaches and guides a young girl with stories and real-time help. Fortnite’s Darth Vader shows AI voices can replace actors, a move Stephenson’s book predicted but still relied on actors (“ractors”) for live interaction.
Wearable AI tech is also pushing toward this sci-fi reality. Devices that record your conversations and analyze them with AI for behavior tips have hit the market. In April 2025, WSJ’s Joanna Stern tested one and found it useful but privacy-risky—others don’t always know they’re recorded, raising surveillance alarms. 
Education is next. AI tutors like ChatGPT are already beating humans at teaching computer science. Morehouse College recently rolled out an AI teaching assistant. AI could soon shape personalized learning companions, like Stephenson’s Primer, blending tutoring with behavioral coaching.
But there’s a Catch-22. The Diamond Age warns about mass AI education turning into social engineering. The book’s Primer-trained kids become loyal operatives, showing how AI tools could manipulate ideologies or enforce control.
This mix of AI voices, wearables, and tutoring is assembling a Primer-like AI right now—one that could teach, guide, and watch users constantly. The future could be smarter kids but also a new kind of Big Brother.
James Earl Jones’ estate gave Epic Games permission to use his voice for the AI Darth Vader.
"The estate of James Earl Jones gave Epic Games permission to use the late actor’s voice for an AI Darth Vader."
Joanna Stern described using always-on AI wearables in the WSJ.
"I Recorded Everything I Said for Three Months. AI Has Replaced My Memory."
Watch this AI wearable in action as it records and analyzes conversations live.
