After an unprecedented 118-day strike, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists has finally reached an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, marking the longest strike in Hollywood’s history. Despite both parties keeping mum about the deal’s specifics on Wednesday night, the resolution follows a protracted battle over the use of artificial intelligence in actors’ performances and the actors’ demand for residual payments for shows and films streamed online.
On Wednesday, a committee from SAG, representing thousands of film and television actors, approved the agreement, signaling the imminent end of the strike that featured pickets outside major entertainment offices. The tentative deal is set to undergo approval by the union’s national board on Friday.
This development holds significant importance for the $130 billion-plus Hollywood industry, which has faced a virtual standstill this year due to dual strikes by the Writers Guild of America and SAG, both advocating for fair wages and addressing concerns about AI integration in their work. The WGA strike concluded in September with a historic deal safeguarding writers from AI interference.
During negotiations this year, generative AI emerged as a key point of contention. Studios initially proposed a groundbreaking AI plan protecting actors’ digital likeness, but disagreements persisted, with SAG expressing concerns that background performers could be scanned and transformed into digital characters without appropriate compensation. Last weekend, SAG rejected the studios’ final offer, citing unresolved issues, particularly regarding AI.
The pivotal moment came on Tuesday when studios reportedly revised the AI language in their proposal, leading to a breakthrough. While the exact terms of the agreement remain unclear, it is likely that actors secured some of the AI protections they sought.
Since the strike began in July, the conversation around artificial intelligence has evolved into a global issue. Recently, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order targeting commercial AI’s power, prompting SAG to emphasize the role of workers and unions in shaping responsible AI policies.
The overarching concern for both writers and actors throughout the prolonged strikes was the challenge of maintaining a middle-class lifestyle. This involved not only preventing AI from displacing jobs but also ensuring fair residual payments for streaming content. With the strikes now concluding, there is cautious optimism about addressing these issues, allowing productions like Gladiator 2 and Andor to resume filming.
