With a week left to vote on SAG-AFTRA’s strike-ending proposed agreement with Hollywood studios, it has become clear that the actors guild’s members will not overwhelmingly vote in favor of the contract – largely because of lingering concerns over AI protections.
On social media (#SAGAFTRAVoteNo) and at membership Q&A sessions, SAG-AFTRA members have voiced their concerns and objections to the contract, which took more than five weeks to iron out with the Hollywood studios’ Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Many members say the 129-page agreement doesn’t go far enough to protect actors, particularly when it comes to artificial intelligence.
“Going back into the negotiating room with a sincere effort to further protect members and to more accurately interpret the rules of ‘consent’ and the uses of AI is the necessary next step we must make,” wrote “Full Metal Jacket” actor Matthew Modine, who was one of nine SAG-AFTRA National Board members (out of 75) who voted against the contract.