The ongoing strikes by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have brought to light a controversial AI proposal from studio executives. It sounds like something from a science-fiction horror thriller or a cyberpunk movie. The proposal, as revealed by SAG-AFTRA’s executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, suggests that background performers should be scanned and their likenesses owned by the studios indefinitely. This revelation has sparked concerns about the future of actors’ creative rights and the potential exploitation of their digital likenesses. With actors and writers united in their demands for fair compensation and protection against AI manipulation, the strikes take on a new urgency.
This dystopian vision of the film industry has raised alarms about the potential manipulation of actors’ digital representations for future projects. It poses a significant threat to actors’ rights and creative control.
SAG-AFTRA response
A June letter written by the union’s general counsel Jeffrey Bennett reads, “SAG-AFTRA maintains that the right to digitally replicate a performer’s voice or likeness to substantially manipulate a performance, or to create a new digital performance, is a mandatory subject of bargaining. You cannot unilaterally impose terms in individual contracts that purport to grant these rights.”
Also Read: What does Hollywood actors strike mean for upcoming movies and TV shows?
Denial and studio practices
While the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents studios, streamers, producers, and distributors, has denied the reports regarding the AI proposal as per CNBC, studio executives have not yet directly commented on the matter. However, insider sources as per media reports have revealed that studios have already utilised technology to replace background actors with digital avatars in upcoming films. Concerningly, some actors claim they were not given the option to opt out of being scanned, with their participation being contingent on their employment.
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