The strike currently taking place in the U.S. involves 65,000 Hollywood actors and 11,000 script writers who are protesting against labor disputes with the motion picture studios. One of the main concerns shared by both groups is the potential replacement of human actors with artificial intelligence (AI) by studio executives.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which represents the actors, states that the increasing use of AI in TV and movies poses a threat to background actors who are not instantly recognizable. In an already stratified industry, the advancement of AI technologies jeopardizes their ability to earn a living.
The fight between the unions and studios revolves around the issue of how AI is being utilized in productions, as well as the impact of streaming services on actors’ pay. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s national executive director, highlighted the existential threat posed by AI and generative technology to actors’ livelihoods during a news conference in Los Angeles.
“The computer can do it cheaper”
Computer-generated imagery and other technologies have long been used in film productions to create scenes with numerous extras or to include lead actors in scenes they weren’t physically present for. Hollywood director Doug Liman, known for popular films like The Bourne Identity and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, acknowledges that computers can often do the job cheaper and even better than humans.
The rapid advancement of AI and the emergence of deep fake tools have raised concerns among actors that studios might begin to realistically simulate performers, which would compromise their pay, control over their careers, and exposure. Actors’ digital likeness could be used without consent or compensation, undermining their financial stability and artistic control.
SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union, is pushing for restrictions on how studios can use AI in order to protect actors’ rights and ensure proper compensation. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, representing the studios, denies claims that they want to use digital replicas of background actors without consent or compensation.
Although A-list actors in Hollywood are well compensated, the majority of actors struggle financially. SAG-AFTRA reports that half of its members earn less than $26,000 per year from acting jobs, putting them at risk of losing guild-sponsored health insurance.
The strike and negotiations between the unions and studios are ongoing, as both sides seek to find a balance between utilizing AI technology and protecting the livelihoods and rights of actors.
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