In a statement made during the press conference announcing the strike, Hollywood actors revealed what studios demand ownership of their AI replicas without any compensation.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA, shared details of the Hollywood studios proposal, which was described by the Alliance of Film and Television Producers (AMPTP) as a “innovative AI proposal” that safeguards the digital image of the actors belonging to SAG-AFTRA.
When asked about the proposal at the press conference, Crabtree-Ireland expressed his disbelief, stating:
Yesterday we were introduced to this supposedly ‘groundbreaking’ AI proposal. They suggested that our artists submit to a scan, get paid for a single day’s work, and relinquish ownership of that scan, its likeness and likeness to the studios indefinitely.
Those studios would then have the right to use that digital representation without any consent or compensation, in any future projects, for all eternity. If you think this is a groundbreaking proposition, I suggest you re-evaluate your perspective.”
The integration of generative AI has been a contentious issue in the ongoing talks between the two parties, and its implications extend beyond the current actors’ strike and play a significant role in the writers’ strike as well.
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher emphasized the urgency of the situation in her opening statement, warning: “If we don’t take a firm stand now, we will all face dire consequences. Our very existence is at stake as we risk being replaced by machines.”