After unsuccessful negotiations with Hollywood studios regarding "AI replicas," the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) group declared a strike on Thursday. 

(Photo : CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)
The SAG-AFTRA building, home to the US labor union that represents film and television actors, singers, and other performers, is seen in Los Angeles, California, on July 13, 2023. 

Striking Over AI's Emergence 

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) revealed that the proposed deal contained an innovative AI provision that was ultimately rejected. This aimed at safeguarding performers' digital representations.

According to Engadget, this provision would mandate performers' consent to create or modify digital replicas of their performances. However, during a press conference, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland expressed a contrasting statement, suggesting that the proposal had an opposing effect.

Crabtree-Ireland said: "This 'groundbreaking' AI proposal that they gave us yesterday, they proposed that our background performers should be able to be scanned, get one day's pay, and their companies should own that scan, their image, their likeness, and should be able to use it for the rest of eternity on any project they want, with no consent and no compensation."

In response to the challenges posed by the streaming era and the unregulated digital technologies, members of the guild are advocating for increased base compensation and stronger protections regarding the utilization of artificial intelligence, among other requests. This aligns with the ongoing strike by Hollywood writers who also have similar concerns.

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Proposing AI Negotiations

NBC News reported that the AMPTP did not expect this outcome. Aside from negations related to artificial intelligence (AI), the group presented a deal, offering historic pay and residual increases, contributions related to higher caps on pensions, audition protections, and shortened series option periods.

This will be limited to productions for film and television as the walkout will not involve SAG-AFTRA members who work in the news business, such as broadcasters, announcers, and newscasters. 

The declaration comes after more than two months since the Writers Guild of America, a labor union representing writers in the film and television industry, initiated their own strike due to a separate conflict with the AMPTP. 

The strike initiated by SAG-AFTRA will result in the suspension of the studios' remaining film and scripted television productions in the United States. It will also have a detrimental impact on numerous international shoots involving SAG-AFTRA members.

Variety reported that the cast of "Oppenheimer" left the screening in solidarity with the strike. Matt Damon has revealed that the whole cast discussed striking before hitting the movie's red carpet premiere in London.

Universal held two separate screenings for the movie, one at Leicester Square and the other at BFI Imax in Waterloo. Christopher Nolan initially attended the premiere in Leicester Square, where he disclosed that the cast had departed to show solidarity with the strike. He then proceeded to the BFI venue and delivered the same speech to the audience.

Related Article: AI Versus Human: WGA Strike Sparks Debate on the Future of Writing