The prospects of generative artificial intelligence in Hollywood — and the way it can be used as an alternative labour — has become a critical holding point for actors on strike.
In a news conference earlier this week, Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) president Fran Drescher stated that artificial intelligence poses an existential threat to creative professions and that all actors and performers deserve contract language that shields them from having their identity and talent compromised without their consent and payment.
“If we don’t stand tall right now, we are all going to be in trouble. We are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines,” Drescher added.
In order to defend writers and the works they produce, SAG-AFTRA has joined the authors Guild of America, which represents Hollywood screenwriters and has been on strike for more than two months. Together, they are asking for a contract that specifically requires AI controls.