LOS ANGELES: Hollywood studios and the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA have made progress in addressing concerns over artificial intelligence (AI), signalling improved relations nearly three years after the industry was paralysed by historic strikes.
Members of SAG-AFTRA, which represents around 160,000 performers in film, television and video games, are currently voting on a newly negotiated contract approved by the union’s national board earlier this month. The vote concludes on June 4, ahead of the current agreement’s expiry at the end of June.
SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said discussions with studios and streaming companies were far more collaborative than during the contentious negotiations that led to the 118-day strike in 2023, the longest in Hollywood history.
He said the previous strikes had helped reset relations between studios and unions, leading to more constructive talks in the latest bargaining round.
AI remains a major concern for performers as technology continues to advance rapidly. However, the proposed contract introduces new safeguards aimed at protecting actors from unauthorised digital replication.
Under the agreement, digital replicas of living or deceased performers created using AI or similar technologies will require informed consent and fair compensation.
The contract also allows limited use of synthetic AI-generated characters not based on real individuals, but only under specific conditions. Studios would be required to justify the use of such characters and demonstrate that they provide significant value to a production.
Approval of the contract would help avert another industry-wide disruption and provide greater clarity on the use of AI in entertainment productions.
