Today the long strike between studios and actors’ union SAG-AFTRA has come to an end. The deal is tentative pending full approval but tomorrow, actors will be able to go back to work after many months of being on strike.
This all comes as recently, the two sides said they were close to a deal but AI was a major issue still. “There are several essential items on which we still do not have an agreement, including AI,” the committee said in a statement.
Barely a week into November, the two parties have been working through proposals and counter-proposals. The guild issued an artificial intelligence counter-proposal to studio representatives during a three-hour meeting on November 1. AI appears to be a major talking point, according to the last few updates from SAG-AFTRA.
For now, we will have to wait and see what was in this deal before we know exactly was agreed on. It is expected that the deal will be fully approved on Friday when the union’s national board meets.
When actors joined Hollywood writers on the picket line in July, AI was a lynchpin issue for both parties. The rampant interest – and lack of regulation – in AI over the last year is already being felt by workers in multiple industries.
For example, some creators argue that AI-generated images they’ve created deserve copyright protections, but multiple courts have denied requests. Other artists are fighting back against AI in an effort to protect their work. In addition, the music industry has been removing AI-generated music from streaming platforms on the grounds of copyright infringement. Amazon has also limited the number of books an author can self-publish in a single day after an influx of suspected AI-generated material was listed for sale.
Sadly we are likely still months away from your favorite shows returning with new episodes and many likely won’t return until the fall of 2024.