SAG-AFTRA: AMPTP's AI proposal lets studios scan a background actor to create a digital likeness, for a day's pay, for perpetual use without consent or pay

During today's press conference in which Hollywood actors confirmed that they were going on strike, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland …

The Verge 2023-07-14 Andrew Webster

Context & Ripple Effects

This dispute puts AI likeness rights at the center of SAG-AFTRA’s strike posture: the union says the AMPTP proposal would convert a background performer’s one-day scan into a studio-controlled asset with no further approval or compensation.

The subsequent coverage shows that this became a durable bargaining issue: the later digital-replica deal framework required consent, disclosure and payment, while a later games agreement extended informed-consent protections for AI use to performers’ voices, likenesses and movements.

First-order effects

Background actors face the prospect that a single day’s work could authorize perpetual reuse of their digital likeness without further consent or pay, under the proposal SAG-AFTRA describes.
The proposal sharpens AI protections as a core strike issue between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP, rather than a narrow question of production technology.

Second-order effects

Any settlement must define the commercial terms of a performer’s replica—especially consent, disclosure and compensation—rather than leave reuse to an initial scanning transaction.
The bargaining model can carry into adjacent performer markets: SAG-AFTRA later reached a voice-replica advertising arrangement and negotiated AI-use protections with game companies.

Third-order effects

If such terms become standard, a performer’s voice and likeness are more likely to be treated as licensable rights with continuing approval and payment obligations, constraining one-time buyout models for AI-enabled reuse.
That would shift competition toward production workflows that can document permissions and usage, while leaving the scope of permissible AI use to collective bargaining and individual deals.

The trend: This is one early flashpoint in the commercialization of performers’ digital identities, with unions pushing to attach consent and recurring economic rights to AI reuse.

Discussion

@akelacooper.bsky.social @akelacooper.bsky.social on bluesky
“We know 2 days ago we said we'd be happy if writers lost their homes but now we're suddenly concerned w/the livelihoods of the other ppl we'd also happily shit on if we weren't using them as human shields right now.” — https://deadline.com/...
@annleckie.com Ann Leckie on bluesky
Not long ago I would have said that movie & TV execs couldn't possibly be stupid enough to think that AI is actually AI and able to do creative work at all let alone do it well, but then I remember the guy who got in his own death tube even after multiple people warned him it was…
@botwiki@mastodon.social @botwiki@mastodon.social on mastodon
“[...] they proposed that our background performers should be able to be scanned, get one day's pay, and their companies should own that scan, their image, their likeness and should be able to use it for the rest of eternity on any project they want, with no consent and no compen…
@massawyrm C. Robert Cargill on x
A reminder that the chief “unreasonable” things the WGA and SAG-AFTRA are both asking for are: -Increased minimums for our lowest paid members -Protection from replacement/duplication by AI -Streaming residuals falling in line with television That's what they want to deny us.
@sentammoses Senta Moses on x
Uh, what??? So if a company is a SAG-Aftra signatory, they can hire actors to train AI and use a digital replica of their voice? Hey, actors, let's not do this! And SAG-Aftra, SHUT THIS DOWN! #SAGAFTRAstrong [image]
@scalzi John Scalzi on x
Telling that with both SAG and WGA, one of the significant holdups was over “AI.” The folks at AMPTP want to retain the right to cut pesky humans out of the filmmaking business entirely. This is in fact a really excellent time to cut that bullshit out. https://variety.com/...
@bostonjerry @bostonjerry on x
Shockingly, Black Mirror was actually not extreme enough in predicting how this AI image/likeness scheme would work.
@nowthisnews @nowthisnews on x
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher on how streaming and AI are changing Hollywood: 'If we don't stand tall right now ... we are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines' [video]
@sillysyntax @sillysyntax on x
A couple of months ago I had a “discussion” with a publisher who said AI wasn't coming for our jobs. They put out an AI assisted call. Round and round the argument went and I felt gaslit, that I maybe was over reacting. Tell me again, not out for jobs. https://www.theverge.com/..…
@latimes @latimes on x
The studios said SAG-AFTRA walked away from an offer that included a “groundbreaking” proposal for AI protections. The union said its offer included a requirement for performer's consent for the creation and use of digital replicas. https://www.latimes.com/...
@3cfilmss Cris Parker on x
SAG-AFTRA Members on Disney's “ground breaking” proposal on using AI to recreate the likeness of Actors in media. 😬😬😬 [video]
@jstylman Josh Stylman on x
Black Mirror is merely predictive programming https://www.theverge.com/...
@shauniedarko @shauniedarko on x
This is some dystopian level BS https://www.theverge.com/...
@a_webster Andrew Webster on x
black mirror is not supposed to be aspirational https://www.theverge.com/...
@valerie_tosi Valerie Tosi on x
Y'all the AMPTP is pure evil. Fran Drescher, SAG's president, just admitted that the studios came to the table wanting to scan background actors into AI and give them ONE DAYS PAY to be able to use their likeness in perpetuity for any project for the rest of time. Burn. It. Down.
@kvanaren Kathryn VanArendonk on x
cannot stop laughing about the AMPTP AI likeness offer. it's so hard for a consumer to own media without paying a subscription for it, and even then stuff can disappear. but studios are supposed to be able to buy your likeness in one day? and not even KEEP PAYING FOR IT?
@discussingfilm @discussingfilm on x
The studio's A.I. proposal to SAG-AFTRA included scanning a background actor's likeness for one day's worth of pay and using their likeness forever in any form without any pay or consent. [image]
@womenscribes @womenscribes on x
Holy fuck - disturbing details from the SAG press conference, like how the AMPTP wanted to pay background actors for 1 day & then own their AI likeness forever. Incredible.
@crecenteb Brian Crecente on x
Wooof. That's terrible. AI is coming for us, but only if we let it.
@albinokid @albinokid on x
This is not hyperbole. This is exactly what was included in the studios' AI proposal. And it's not the only hair-raising item they put forward. This is just one of many reasons our strike is righteous and necessary. #SAGAFTRAstrong #SagAftraStrike #Solidarity
@embryethan Ethan Embry on x
First of all, their AI proposal is ludicrous. And I see NOTHING in regards to royalties tied to a shows success on a streaming platform. They want all the success from popular hits, but we are the ones providing them. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
@thr @thr on x
Fran Drescher spoke about the use of artificial intelligence and portrayed the union as taking a stand: “The entire business model has been changed by streaming, digital, AI... we are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines” https://thr.cm/ehgX8o9
@meisteralready @meisteralready on x
@Phil_Lewis_ SAG-Aftra is 99% made up of working class actors who $75k and under. They are not being given residuals on streaming work nor have any rights over their image in AI. It is not just Hollywood actors, they are 1% of this union and there is a branch in almost every majo…
r/television r on reddit
AMPTP Responds To SAG-AFTRA Strike: “Union Has Regrettably Chosen A Path That Will Lead To Financial Hardship For Countless Thousands”
r/RedLetterMedia r on reddit
SAG-AFTRA Strike Officially Commences
r/LiveFromNewYork r on reddit
SAG is going on strike. The season might start late or not happen at all
r/WednesdayTVSeries r on reddit
Actors Guild will reportedly join strike. This can impact Wednesday S2 filming even though it is in the UK
r/LosAngeles r on reddit
SAG-AFTRA Contract Talks Fail To Reach Deal; National Board Meeting Thursday Morning To Launch Strike; Sides Issue Statements
r/IATSE r on reddit
SAG-AFTRA Contract Talks Fail To Reach Deal; National Board Meeting Thursday Morning To Launch Strike; Sides Issue Statements
r/OnlyMurdersHulu r on reddit
SAG-AFTRA to strike
r/TwoBestFriendsPlay r on reddit
SAG-AFTRA Contract Talks Fail To Reach Deal; National Board To Meet Thursday Morning To Formally Launch Strike
r/blankies r on reddit
SAG-AFTRA Contract Talks Fail To Reach Deal; National Board Meeting Thursday Morning To Launch Strike; Sides Issue Statements
r/comiccon r on reddit
SAG-AFTRA Contract Talks Fail; National Board Sets Meeting To Launch Strike - The guild's national board will meet Thursday morning to formally approve the launch of a strike
r/oscarrace r on reddit
SAG-AFTRA Contract Talks Fail To Reach Deal; National Board To Meet Thursday Morning To Formally Launch Strike
r/boxoffice r on reddit
SAG-AFTRA Contract Talks Fail To Reach Deal; National Board To Meet Thursday Morning To Formally Launch Strike
r/FilmIndustryLA r on reddit
SAG-AFTRA Contract Talks Fail To Reach Deal; National Board To Meet Thursday Morning To Formally Launch Strike
r/Fauxmoi r on reddit
SAG-AFTRA TO STRIKE
r/television r on reddit
SAG-AFTRA Contract Talks Fail To Reach Deal; National Board To Meet Thursday Morning To Formally Launch Strike
@sorayamcdonald.bsky.social @sorayamcdonald.bsky.social on bluesky
This is absolutely infuriating. — There is still plenty of money to go around in mass media. Actors on hit shows should be able to afford the box sets of their work! — https://www.newyorker.com/... [image]
@Cameo@mastodon.social Cameo Wood on mastodon
This is a great article explaining how SAG day rate and residuals work. For a show like ‘Friends’ that airs on network, day rate was $500/day and residuals for a person that appeared on one episode in a speaking part could be as much as 50k a year. …
@kattenbarge Kat Tenbarge on x
This article is staggering and infuriating. Orange Is The New Black is one of the most popular TV series of all time. The cast members had to keep their day jobs during it. Their residuals are less than $25. https://www.newyorker.com/...
@discussingfilm @discussingfilm on x
Several actors say Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos boasted at a party about how more people watched ‘ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK’ than ‘GAME OF THRONES’. This made the cast question why their residual pay was so low — “I [only] get $20!” said one star. (Source: https://www.newyorker.com/...…
@runwithskizzers @runwithskizzers on x
🫠🫠🫠🫠 https://www.newyorker.com/... [image]
@ynb Yvette Nicole Brown on x
None of this is right. 💔 #UnionStrong https://www.newyorker.com/...
@lindaholmes @lindaholmes on x
Everybody who is recommending this piece about the cast of ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK is right. I'm sure a lot of people got rich off Netflix's initial push into originals, but it sure wasn't these folks. https://www.newyorker.com/...
@samuelaadams Sam Adams on x
House of Cards got all the hype but OITNB was the show that really set the template not Netflix—not just in terms of subject and approach but apparently in shortchanging the people who made it
@awolfeful April Wolfe on x
Netflix does not want this labor reckoning. They want to keep opening their little restaurants and pretend labor doesn't exist.
@timsassoon @timsassoon on x
@MJSchulman @NewYorker The entertainment business is inherently risky. It used to be that “other people's money” took the risk. Now that streamers are borrowing to produce, they're shoving the risks onto the creatives.
@mjschulman Michael Schulman on x
NEW from me: With a SAG strike looming, some actors from “Orange Is the New Black” are speaking out about how they were never fairly compensated for a formative show of the streaming revolution. https://www.newyorker.com/...
r/Screenwriting r on reddit
“Orange Is the New Black” Signalled the Rot Inside the Streaming Economy
r/Fauxmoi r on reddit
“Orange Is the New Black” Signalled the Rot Inside the Streaming Economy
r/television r on reddit
“Orange Is the New Black” Signalled the Rot Inside the Streaming Economy

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