Equity's AI Protections: Navigating Industry Challenges and Ensuring Performers' Rights
Equity, the UK actors’ union, is planning to conduct an industrial action ballot for its members in the film and TV industry regarding artificial intelligence protections. The ballot will gauge members' willingness to refuse digital scanning on set to ensure adequate AI safeguards. It is a non-binding ballot that aims to demonstrate the level of support for this action without resorting to a strike. Equity is currently in talks with Pact, a producers' trade body, to establish a new agreement covering minimum pay, royalties, self-tapes, and hair and makeup provisions for performers.
While Equity emphasizes the importance of AI protections, it expresses dissatisfaction with Pact's response on the matter. The union argues that performers' data should not be used without informed consent, but Pact has not provided sufficient contractual assurances. Pact clarifies that consent and payments for certain outputs, like de-aging actors, have been agreed upon, but there are concerns about compiling data for large language models (LLMs) for production purposes. Equity seeks future-oriented protections and ongoing dialogue to address evolving challenges in data usage and monetization.
Equity's query to its members about refusing digital scanning for AI protections has raised concerns from Pact, which believes the question lacks clarity on the specific issue at hand. Pact assures that its members are not currently creating LLMs for commercial purposes and commits to collaborating with Equity on defining commercial terms if such activities were to arise. The dialogue between Equity and Pact underscores the need for clear guidelines and agreements to safeguard performers' data and ensure fair compensation in the evolving landscape of AI technology.
In conclusion, the upcoming industrial action ballot by Equity reflects the growing importance of AI protections in the entertainment industry. The discussions between Equity and Pact highlight the need for clear communication and agreements to address concerns related to data usage, consent, and monetization in the context of evolving technologies. As performers navigate the impact of AI on their work, ensuring adequate safeguards and fair compensation remains a key priority for industry stakeholders.