SAG-AFTRA reaches agreement with advertisers on AI
The new deal allows advertisers to replicate actors’ voices with AI.
SAG-AFTRA, the Hollywood actors' union, has reached an agreement with the online talent marketplace Narrativ to allow actors to sell the rights to reproduce their voices with artificial intelligence (AI). This new deal aims to ensure that actors can benefit financially from the use of AI technology while maintaining authority over how their digital voice duplications are employed. The announcement comes at a time when many performers are concerned about the potential for AI to be misused, leading to unauthorized exploitation of their likenesses.
While not all members may be intrigued in licensing their digital voices, the agreement provides a secure choice for those who want to. The partnership with Narrativ offers a platform where actors can get in touch with advertisers to produce audio ads using AI-generated voice replicas. Importantly, actors can decide on their own prices for these digital voice licenses, as long as they meet the minimum pay standards set by SAG-AFTRA for audio commercials. The agreement also requires that brands secure explicit consent from performers for each advertisement that utilizes their digital voice reproduction.
SAG-AFTRA has highlighted this deal as a model for the ethical use of AI in the advertising industry. The issue of AI-generated voice replicas gained significant discussion earlier this year when actress Scarlett Johansson denounced OpenAI for using her voice without permission for an AI tool. The topic of AI's impact on the entertainment industry was also central to last summer’s Hollywood strike by the writers and actors unions.
More recently, video game voice actors and motion-capture performers launched a strike over unsuccessful contract discussions, with protections for workers from AI being a major sticking point. Meanwhile, new legislation called the NO FAKES Act has been introduced in Congress. If passed, it would grant individuals the legal right to their personal voice and likeness, making it illegal for AI to replicate them without permission. This bill has garnered support from SAG-AFTRA, the Motion Picture Association, The Recording Academy, and Disney.
The rise of deepfakes—realistic videos created by AI that mimic real voices and images—has also sparked global concern, particularly regarding their potential to influence public opinion. The new deal between SAG-AFTRA and Narrativ represents a significant step toward addressing these challenges and ensuring that actors have a say in how their digital selves are used in the evolving landscape of AI technology.