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Hollywood studios adopt constructive tone on AI in new actor contract talks
🇵🇦 Panama /Culture & Society

Hollywood studios adopt constructive tone on AI in new actor contract talks

From TVN Panamá · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Hollywood studios negotiated a new contract with actors with a more constructive tone, particularly on artificial intelligence, following recent strikes.
  • The SAG-AFTRA union director stated that studios now better understand the priority of regulating AI and agree on prioritizing human creativity.
  • The new labor agreement aims to protect actors from AI-generated synthetic characters and digital replicas, requiring informed consent and fair compensation for the latter.

Hollywood studios approached contract negotiations with actors with a more constructive tone, particularly regarding artificial intelligence, a shift attributed to the impact of recent strikes. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, national executive director of SAG-AFTRA, noted that studios and streaming platforms "sat down at the table with a different perspective." He described the discussions, leading to an agreement pending member approval, as "much more collaborative" despite being "very intense."

The studios and streaming platforms sat down at the table with a different perspective.

— Duncan Crabtree-IrelandDescribing the tone of the new contract negotiations.

"I think the 2023 strikes, although very difficult for all of us, helped recalibrate the relationship between the studios and the unions in general," Crabtree-Ireland said. He believes companies in the industry now "better understand" why regulating AI is a "big priority" for union members. They also agree on ensuring more work for people, based on the consensus that "there is a unique and special quality to human creativity and performance."

I think the 2023 strikes, although very difficult for all of us, helped recalibrate the relationship between the studios and the unions in general.

— Duncan Crabtree-IrelandReflecting on the impact of previous strikes on industry relations.

The agreement addresses concerns over AI's growing presence in Hollywood, including the use of synthetic characters and digital replicas. Synthetic characters are created by AI without basis in a real person, while digital replicas use technology to replicate a real performer. The new deal mandates informed consent and fair compensation for digital replicas, but the status of synthetics, which do not represent a specific individual, remains a point of concern. Crabtree-Ireland highlighted the debut of an AI-generated character, Tilly Norwood, as an example of the technology's advancement and the union's ongoing vigilance.

I think the 2023 strikes, although very difficult for all of us, helped recalibrate the relationship between the studios and the unions in general.

— Duncan Crabtree-IrelandExplaining the shift in studio perspective on AI regulation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by TVN Panamá in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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