In a plotline akin to an episode from the acclaimed anthology series “Black Mirror,” the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) finds itself engaged in a fierce dispute with studios over the rights to digital replicas of performers, raising concerns about their perpetual usage.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a contentious issue for film and television actors who fear the potential duplication of their voices and likenesses through AI technology.
As contract negotiations between SAG and Hollywood studios reached a stalemate on Wednesday, control over the use of digital simulations emerged as one of the pivotal sticking points.
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The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), representing major studios and streaming services such as Walt Disney and Netflix, claims to have presented a “groundbreaking AI proposal” aimed at protecting performers’ digital likenesses.
According to the studios, these safeguards would require actors’ consent before creating and utilizing digital replicas or digitally altering their performances.
However, SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, expressed skepticism regarding the studios’ portrayal of the proposal during a press conference in Los Angeles.
Criticizing the suggested terms, Crabtree-Ireland remarked, “They propose that our background performers should be able to be scanned, get paid for one day’s pay, and their company should own that scan of their image, their likeness, and should be able to use it for the rest of eternity. So if you think that’s a groundbreaking proposal, I suggest you think again.”
Responding to SAG-AFTRA’s concerns, the AMPTP refuted the notion that digital replicas of background actors could be exploited indefinitely without consent or compensation.
The studios clarified that the current proposal strictly limits the use of digital replicas to the specific motion picture for which the background actor is employed.
Any additional usage beyond that would necessitate the actor’s consent and negotiation for fair compensation, subject to a minimum payment.
SAG-AFTRA Union Announces Strike as Contract Talks with Studios Reach Impasse
In response to the impasse in negotiations, Hollywood’s largest union, SAG-AFTRA, announced that its members would initiate a strike at midnight, underscoring the seriousness of the issues at hand, including the control and usage rights of digital replicas.
As the entertainment industry grapples with the looming threat of AI duplicates, the clash between SAG and the studios highlights the urgent need for clear guidelines and regulations concerning the ownership and utilization of digital replicas.
The outcome of these negotiations holds significant implications for the future landscape of AI-driven performances and the protection of performers’ rights in an increasingly technologically advanced era.
