Hollywood Artificial Intelligence Strikes

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In a recent development, members of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) have voted to join the ranks of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) in striking against studios over flat negotiations surrounding artificial intelligence (AI), pay structures and more.

Underpinning the strikes is a particular failed negotiation with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) over the use of generative AI tools that would seemingly disrupt the creative process and intellectual property (IP) rights of entertainment professionals. As a result, Hollywood is being brought to a standstill, with the future of the industry as unstable as it’s ever been.

Actress Fran Drescher, the president of SAG-AFTRA, emphasized the significance of the strike, stating that the situation affects all fields of labor. The actors’ union is particularly concerned about the potential threats AI poses to performers, including unauthorized replication of their performances and the creation of content without compensation — concepts eerily similar to Black Mirrors’ ‘Joan Is Awful’ episode.

SAG-AFTRA believes that AI represents an “existential threat” to actors and claims that studios have not adequately addressed these concerns.

The guild’s Chief Negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, revealed one of the AMPTP’s proposals, which involved digitizing background actors for perpetual use without further consent or compensation. Andretti recounted his own experience of being extensively photographed to create a digital twin, which could be used in future films without additional payment.

Guild members hope that strikes will lead to strong contracts that will be put in place that protect their IP in both professional settings, like in the case of studios and also from unauthorized use like deepfake content.

With the strikes growing in size, Hollywood is now preparing for a shutdown that rivals the historic 1980 walkout by actors, with the potential results of ongoing negotiations expected to reshape the industry, for better or worse.

See SAG-AFTRA’s official announcement and full details on the strikes below.