UK Actors Vote to Refuse Digital Scanning Over AI Concerns
Actors in the UK’s film and TV industry, represented by trade union Equity, have voted overwhelmingly to refuse to have their physical likenesses digitally scanned over concerns that they will then be used in productions by artificial intelligence – a move that could pave the way for a full-blown strike in the future. An initiative in line with what has already happened in Hollywood, with the protests of screenwriters and actors that had paralyzed the sector in 2023.
Equity members were asked to express their opinion regarding the common practice by which actors’ likenesses are acquired for future use, and 99% of voters chose to oppose, even at the risk of being transformed into digital “clones”. “Ninety percent of TV and film is made on the basis of these agreements. Over three-quarters of the artists who work there are unionised. This shows that they are willing to stop production if their rights are not respected,” said Equity general secretary Paul Fleming.
Paul McCartney’s Warning: “Artificial Intelligence Threatens Music”
Following this vote, the union announced that it will formally ask the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (Pact), the association representing the majority of British film and television production companies, to sit at the negotiating table with a proposal to protect the category of actors with respect to the use of artificial intelligence. Otherwise a second vote will be organized to call a strike.
The initiative of the actors of the Kingdom comes after those launched in the world of music, such as the protest led by sir Paul McCartney who with other famous singers and musicians have raised their voices against the indiscriminate use of AI and in particular the legislation desired by the British government of Keir Starmer to facilitate the expansion of the technological business connected to it, with implications for copyright and the protection of artists’ creativity.
Future of the Entertainment Industry
The vote by Equity members highlights the growing concern among artists about the impact of artificial intelligence on their work and their rights. As the use of AI in the entertainment industry continues to increase, it is likely that we will see more initiatives like this in the future. The outcome of the negotiations between Equity and the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television will be closely watched by the industry, as it could set a precedent for the use of AI in film and TV production.
For more information on this topic, please visit Here