In the evolving landscape of entertainment, the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) is actively formulating a strategy to navigate the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the industry. A central tenet of their approach, articulated by chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, revolves around ensuring that the economic incentives for utilizing AI-generated performers are neutralized. This involves making the cost of employing synthetic talent comparable to, if not greater than, that of human actors. This stance is driven by the belief that if AI performers offer no significant cost advantage, studios will inherently favor human creativity and performance.
This innovative negotiation tactic is a direct response to the rapid advancements in AI technology and its potential impact on the livelihoods of performers. By seeking to impose financial parity, SAG-AFTRA aims to protect its members from displacement while acknowledging the inevitable presence of AI in content creation. The union's past experiences and recent successes in refining AI clauses in various contracts, such as those for commercials and sound recordings, demonstrate a proactive and evolving strategy to safeguard the value of human artistry in an increasingly automated world, setting a precedent for upcoming negotiations with major studios and streamers.
Equating Costs: A Strategic Deterrent to AI Adoption
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the lead negotiator for SAG-AFTRA, has outlined a forward-thinking strategy aimed at balancing the playing field between human actors and their AI-generated counterparts. The core of this approach is to eliminate the financial benefits that might tempt production companies to opt for artificial performers. By ensuring that the cost of utilizing AI for synthetic performances is on par with, or even exceeds, the expense of hiring a human actor, the union hopes to preserve opportunities for its members. This economic equalization is seen as a crucial step to maintain the integrity of human-centric entertainment production.
This strategic move is informed by the observation that without substantial cost savings, the allure of AI in place of human talent diminishes considerably. Crabtree-Ireland emphasizes that if the financial outlay for a synthetic performer mirrors that of a human, the preference will almost always lean towards human creativity and nuance. This philosophy is poised to be a significant point of discussion in the upcoming negotiations with studios and streaming platforms, building on prior agreements where the union has successfully introduced clauses that penalize the use of AI performers financially, such as in the commercials and record label contracts where similar royalty and session fee structures were applied.
Negotiation Evolution: Safeguarding Performers in the Age of AI
The union's current stance on AI reflects an evolution in its negotiation tactics, moving beyond simply demanding notice and bargaining rights, which were secured in earlier agreements but deemed insufficient. Drawing lessons from recent contract negotiations, particularly with record labels and for commercials, SAG-AFTRA has successfully implemented financial disincentives for using AI-generated performances. For instance, the 2024 record label deal mandates that synthetic voices incur the same streaming royalties as human singers, effectively removing any cost advantage for producers. Similarly, the 2025 commercials pact imposes a 1.5 times session fee and benefits contribution for synthetic performers when used alongside human actors, explicitly prohibiting AI as a cost-cutting measure.
Looking ahead to the critical negotiations with major studios and streamers, the union is determined to expand these protections. Crabtree-Ireland's vision extends to ensuring that, across all agreements, the use of AI does not undermine the value of human performance. Furthermore, the union aims to secure more robust restrictions on the use of performers' likenesses and voices to train AI models—a point of contention in past negotiations. This comprehensive approach underscores SAG-AFTRA's commitment to adapting its bargaining strategy to the technological advancements, ensuring that human talent remains central to the entertainment industry and is adequately compensated in an AI-driven future.