Title: Actors Union Rejects Studios’ Latest Contract Offer Over AI Use in Entertainment Industry
In an ongoing battle to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the entertainment sector, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has rejected the latest contract offer from studios. The union, representing actors in the US film, TV, and radio industries, voiced concerns about the increasing use of AI to create digital replicas of performers’ likeness without their consent.
Actors have raised issues surrounding the unauthorized use of their faces and voices manipulated by AI in advertisements. Prominent figures like Scarlett Johannson and Tom Hanks have expressed their frustration over not being compensated for these AI-generated appearances. The worry lies in the rising potential for studios to scan actors’ likeness and create AI-powered replicas that can be used repeatedly, potentially rendering human actors obsolete.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), representing over 350 American production companies, has proposed subjecting top earners in the industry to AI scans. While the AMPTP is willing to pay actors for these scans, SAG-AFTRA is advocating for additional compensation whenever these AI-generated images are reused.
Consent is another significant hurdle in negotiations, with SAG-AFTRA arguing that explicit consent should be obtained not only from living performers but also from the estates representing deceased actors. The language in the AMPTP’s latest contract offer allegedly grants studios the ability to create AI deepfakes of deceased actors without permission from their estates. SAG-AFTRA strongly opposes this provision and emphasizes the need for proper consent.
One unnamed source on SAG-AFTRA’s side highlighted their concerns, stating, This is one of the biggest reasons SAG did not accept the ‘last, best, and final’ offer from the AMPTP. We could not allow that language to stand. They can’t have that loophole to exploit performers.
Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP have been ongoing for months, but both sides have struggled to find common ground, particularly regarding AI use in the industry. SAG-AFTRA believes that addressing the concerns related to AI is vital for the long-term sustainability of the performance industry.
While the Writers Guild of America recently reached an agreement with TV and film studios after a 148-day strike, securing increased wages and restrictions on the use of generative AI technology, SAG-AFTRA’s battle with studios over AI is far from over.
As the industry grapples with the rapid advancements of AI, the outcome of these negotiations could have a significant impact on how performers are compensated for the use of their likeness and protect their creative rights in an increasingly digital world.
