Negotiations between the Screen Actor’s Guild and prominent Hollywood studios have again stalled after the most recent negotiation Monday.
The actor’s union began a picket against Hollywood earlier this year following issues related to artificial intelligence, as well as other topics like residual pay and a simultaneous strike by the Writers Guild of America. This week, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers presented what they called the “Last, Best & Final” offer to SAG negotiators this week, but the representatives announced the rejection of these terms in an online press release.
Artificial intelligence is a primary concern for the embattled actors, as some journeymen have been forced to sign their digital likenesses away in perpetuity in order to find work. Some ethical concerns have also arisen regarding the use of deepfake technology, and the emulation of the deceased is yet another hot-button issue being debated in production circles.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the National Executive Director for SAG-AFTRA, spoke during a press conference at the strike’s onset.
“Actors now face an existential threat to their livelihoods with the risk of generative A.I… the board has determined that union members should withhold their labor until a fair contract can be achieved,” Crabtree-Ireland said. “They proposed that our background actors should be able to get scanned and get paid for one day… Their company should be able to use and own that image and likeness to use for the rest of eternity in any project for no consent.”
There are precedents for the use of actor’s likenesses after their death, as the “Star Wars” franchise has previously resurrected Carrie Fisher and Peter Cullen to digitally reprise their roles. The Fast and the Furious’ 7th entry also included a digital recreation of Paul Walker, and leveraged a CGI body double in order to finish his unfilmed scenes.
These concerns closely mirror the WGA’s own protest against Hollywood decision makers, as the fear of generative A.I. replacing human writers provided a focal point for those negotiations.
The final terms of that contract stipulated that artificial intelligence wouldn’t be used for the writing or rewriting of material, and also restricted the training of deep-learning models on previously-written work. Writers are allowed to leverage these tools for their own creative processes.
Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, Writers Guild of America East President, called for solidarity with the striking actors in a press conference announcing the contract in July.
“Now it’s time for the AMPTP to put the rest of the town back to work by negotiating a fair contract with our SAG-AFTRA siblings,” Cullen said. “Until the studios make a deal that addresses the needs of performers, WGA members will be on the picket lines, walking side-by-side with SAG-AFTRA in solidarity.”
The uncertainty surrounding Hollywood and A.I. is sparking concerns among students hoping for careers in the industry.
Ethan Holder, a junior studying musical theater at USC, acknowledged that A.I. has the power to eliminate acting as a profession. If it did, he said, “I wouldn’t have a dream to chase anymore.”
He hopes an A.I. takeover doesn’t come to pass. “It wouldn’t be the same as watching a real human—the likeness doesn’t compare.”
Elizabeth Griesser, a sophomore in Cinema and Media Studies, agrees with Holder, saying “Honestly I’m not super anxious about A.I. taking over the film industry… Ultimately A.I. cannot replace art and the fundamental human nature of creativity.”
The SAG-AFTRA strike, which began in July, has disrupted the industry. It postponed multiple productions, decreased movie ticket sales, and cut into box office numbers.
Further negotiations are expected to continue.