SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP have reached a tentative deal to end the actors’ strike and resume work in Hollywood. But not everyone is happy with the details of that agreement.
SAG-AFTRA has declared the strike to be over in the interim between the agreement being made and the official vote on it, but some members are calling for union members to keep resisting, saying the agreement is unfair. The hashtag #SAGAFTRAvoteNo is trending on Twitter (X), with scores of performers posting explanations on why the union should still resist settling the deal.
As you might expect, AI is a major point of contention. According to the tentative agreement’s section on Generative Artificial Intelligence, “synthetic performers” (meaning a “digitally-created asset” meant to appear as a “natural performer”) will still be put to use. Also, background actors can still be digitally replicated should they consent to it, and will only be paid one day’s pay. There is still the concept of consent involved in giving up image rights, but nothing else has been mentioned related to the protection of overuse.
Background actors are likely to be hit hardest by this deal since the replication of their image means signing it away until their death. A great mass of young and upcoming actors will no longer be needed in this case, since many of them will be overtaken by digital replicas if they haven’t given theirs up for the use of studios and productions. Not only that, but scores of voice actors may also lose their jobs to synthetic voices given the dubious clause on voice replication stated in the document.
Cutting corners with generative artificial intelligence is slowly becoming a norm, and it’s falling to unions to secure the futures of the people they represent. If one of the major reasons for the SAG-AFTRA strike was to ensure workers’ protection from the impacts of Artificial Intelligence and exploitation, then it’s clear that SAG-AFTRA has much more to fight for.
(featured image: Mario Tama/Getty Images)
