Performers criticise ‘complete disregard’ over AI complaints following Sag-Aftra deal

Some actors are unhappy after the revised Sag-Aftra contract, which triggered the longest strike in Hollywood history

The debate around the use of artificial intelligence (AI) has refused to abate amid the landmark deal reached between Sag-Aftra and the Hollywood studios.

On Tuesday (5 December), Sag-Aftra, the US’s biggest union of actors and screen performers, announced its members had voted overwhelmingly in favour of ratifying its tentative deal with Hollywood studios – which last month ended the industry’s longest ever strike action.

This strike, which halted several big-budget productions including Deadpool 3 and Wicked, began on 19 July. At the time, striking actors were seeking assurances over the use of AI, as well as residual pay hikes related to streaming, as well as better employee benefits.

After 118 days of strike action, a provisionary deal was agreed on 10 November, but required the approval of the union members to finalise.

Now, the deal has been ratified, with Sag-Aftra announcing on Tuesday that it had closed “one of the most important chapters in recent entertainment industry history”.

In a statement, the guild said: “The 2023 TV/Theatrical Contracts have officially been ratified by SAG-AFTRA members by a vote of 78.3 per cent to 21.7 per cent with a turnout of 38 per cent.

“SAG-AFTRA members will receive unprecedented wage escalation, significantly improved streaming compensation, and the first-ever crucial protections around the use of artificial intelligence technology.”

Despite the overall contentment with the agreement, some union members have complained that the use of AI was still a threat to their livelihoods, and that initial complaints about the technology’s possibly detrimental impact had gone unaddressed in the final deal.

Reacting to a social media post from Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston hailing the historic new deal, voice actors and stunt doubles highlighted how AI could render them jobless.

Stunt actor Alex Hill, whose credits include post-apolcalyptic horror series Fear The Walking Dead, replied to Cranston’s post on Instagram, writing: “Not only will actors have the option of having an AI stunt double, they are actually incentivised to go that route and put the stunt person out of work.”

Professional stunt woman Michelle Elise Shellshock, who has worked on shows like Clickbait and Fatal Attraction, added: “I hear a complete disregard for voice over artists and stunts … Let’s not forget the lack of identity protection that this contract provides, especially for minors.”

Westworld actor Louis Herthum, who played the role of host Peter Abernathy, also responded to Cranston by raising concerns for the crew – not just the cast: “When an actor’s digital replica is ‘working’ and the actor is receiving a stipend for the day, all of the crew members who WOULD HAVE BEEN WORKING that day, will not be.”

The new contract states that consent granted for the use of an actor’s voice and body to generate AI replicas “continues after [their] death unless explicitly limited otherwise”.

Other terms of the agreement introduced the potential for a “Synthetic Performer” which is a “digitally-created asset” in which there is “no employment arrangement for the motion picture” with an actor.

Reacting to these stipulations in a post on X/Twitter, voice actor Kirsten Day said: “I’m begging all of my fellow actors to decline being scanned for AI. Sag-Aftra failed to protect us on this and if we all say yes to AI scanning, it is the end of our art as we know it. Please say no to getting scanned.

“Please don’t consent.”

The Independent has contacted representatives for Sag-Aftra for comment.

In October, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) also voted to ratify a deal with the studios following its own months-long strike, which overlapped with the industrial action of Sag-Aftra.