The Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), Hollywood’s largest labor unions, have expressed reservations over a proposed pact by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). According to the agreement, extras, or background actors, shall be paid a one-time fee of $200 in exchange for granting perpetual rights to their likenesses in AI. This idea is highly opposed by SAG-AFTRA, which claims it lacks consent and fair remuneration.
Background actors have less bargaining power than well-known performers, who average make $187 to $219 per day. Although working as an extra can be a stepping stone to a career in acting by providing experience and industry contacts, it is sometimes arduous and repetitive. The emergence of generative AI technology is viewed as a huge threat to actors’ livelihoods, and the union argues that the existing streaming model has eroded performers’ residual income, while inflation has made it more difficult for members to make ends meet.
Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA and former star of “The Nanny,” underlined the need of standing up to machines and corporate interests that put Wall Street over individuals and their families. The union claims that performers are entitled to a contract that reflects the changing character of the industry and effectively handles the difficulties brought by streaming, digital platforms, and artificial intelligence.
The conflict between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP underlines the entertainment industry’s rising concerns about the use of AI-generated content and the equitable treatment of actors in this new context.
