AI Misuse in Hollywood: SAG-AFTRA Calls for Regulation
Hollywood's potential misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) in the entertainment industry is a "deadly cocktail" that needs "strict regulation," according to SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher. This comes after her latest address in the guild’s strike podcast, indicating the ever-growing tension between technology and performer rights. The core of the contention is Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), capable of writing scripts and digitally duplicating images of actors, stunt performers, and background players. This technology is now a leading issue in the ongoing strikes involving both SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild.
Members of Drescher's guild have increasingly reported concerns of falling victim to “deep fakes,” a technology that enables their faces and voices to be computer-generated, often without their consent and sometimes for inappropriate content.
Speaking with Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the guild's national executive director, and Ben Whitehair, the guild's executive vice president, Drescher said, "So we need to put barricades around it." She emphasized the need for "compensation and consent," stating the importance of securing an artist’s permission and offering correct recompense when the AI technology is used to mimic their person.
Crabtree-Ireland stressed that the guild members' careers are "legitimately threatened by unrestrained use of artificial intelligence." He echoed Drescher's call for "informed consent" and fair compensation for the use of digital replicas of the actors.
SAG-AFTRA's broader stance is a call for "a more employee-friendly industry" and fair revenue sharing. The guild is championing for cast members to share in the revenue generated when their performances are broadcast on streaming platforms. Further, the guild proposes a “subscription-based” residuals formula for streaming shows.
On this, Drescher was succinct. “I would like to see us absolutely get a piece of every subscription.”
Now, to pivot from the facts to my own professional musings.
While Wall Street may be brimming with smooth-talking men in sharp suits and the tech sector flowing with whizz kids cranking out codes at the speed of light, the intersection of these two worlds within the realm of Hollywood might make for the latest gripping drama series. However, it's not just "entertainment dystopia" as Drescher puts it - the stakes are high and very real.
Just imagine redoing Citizen Kane with AI Orson Welles, or an animated James Dean replacing the legends themselves. Sure, it would get heads turning and spark undeniable curiosity, but it drastically undermines the essence of performance, and the intimate human expression that make films and TV shows what they are. The very thing we enjoy about a Woody Allen script or a Marlon Brando performance is the unique, irreplicable individuality.
Fran Drescher hit the nail on the head when she stated, "There’s no wiggle room… You have to compensate and you have to obtain consent, period." Consent, often touted as the quintessential requirement for a balanced relationship, seems more like a forgotten courtesy in Hollywood.
Passing regulations to prevent AI misuse is much like casting the leading lady(in this case, guidelines) into a movie riddled with artistic felons (technical advancements). Ensuring the star doesn’t get upstaged is critical, but what we need just as much, if not more, is her being received with the right respect she commands.
Sophisticated as they may seem, AI recreations can never substitute the rawness of human emotions or the charm of an actor’s idiosyncrasies. Fran calls it a ‘deadly cocktail.' I’d toast to that but, unfortunately, the drink seems a little too artificial for my taste.
