As a long-time member and ardent supporter of SAG-AFTRA, I can’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction seeing the California state Senate pass AB 1836. With years of experience in this industry, I’ve seen firsthand how technology can sometimes blur the lines between respect for an artist’s work and their rights. This bill is a significant step towards ensuring performers, living or deceased, maintain control over their digital legacies – something we’ve been advocating for, both on the picket lines and in our contracts with studios.
SAG-AFTRA commends the California state Senate for approving a regulation limiting the application of artificial intelligence-generated digital counterparts of deceased actors.
Following the approval of AB 1836 on Saturday, the actors’ union issued a statement, saying, “The California Senate has firmly rejected the use of digital replicas of deceased performers in films, TV shows, video games, audiobooks, sound recordings, and other media without first obtaining consent from their estates. The passing of AB 1836 represents another triumph for SAG-AFTRA as they continue to strengthen performer rights in the era of artificial intelligence. This bill, combined with AB 2602 passed earlier this week, further solidifies our legal and contractual protections.”
“These bills are important to our union, representing our members’ interests and advocating for explicit consent in California. We eagerly await Governor Gavin Newsom signing them into law.”
The legislation now moves to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, where he has until the end of September to make a decision: either sign it into law, veto it, or let it become law without his signature. Earlier this week, the state Senate also approved AB 2602, which strengthens consent provisions for digital representations of active performers.
For quite some time now, SAG-AFTRA has been advocating for safeguards related to AI usage at a legislative level. This push for protection has become particularly evident since the union’s 118-day strike last year, which was significantly influenced by provisions concerning AI in its contracts with Hollywood production companies and streaming platforms.
At a national level, bipartisan politicians have been drafting bills related to protecting individuals from AI manipulation. For instance, there’s the NO FAKES Act aimed at safeguarding actors, musicians, and others by preventing AI software from creating their likenesses or voices without their explicit, written approval. Another bill, the No AI Fraud Act, has been proposed, which forbids the dissemination of unauthorized digital replicas, such as deepfakes and voice clones.
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2024-09-01 07:54