SAG-AFTRA Rejected AMPTP’s Recent Offer for Insufficient AI Protections

SAG-AFTRA rejected the latest contract proposal from AMPTP, demanding rights and compensation for the re-use of actors’ digital scans, especially posthumously.

The Screen Actors Guild ‐ American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) have been on strike for 116 days, which put a hold on a significant amount of film and television projects in Hollywood and disrupted marketing campaigns. Central to the strike is the approach to and use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the industry, particularly concerning the protections for high-earning SAG-AFTRA members.

The negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have been ongoing. The AMPTP put forth a “last, best and final offer” over the weekend, and after reviewing the proposal on Sunday and Monday, the negotiation committee, representing the union, rejected the offer. 

There were a few essential items that the union could not agree on, including the pivotal issue of the control over AI scans of actors. The AMPTP has proposed a clause allowing studios to pay only for initial scans of performers, specifically those who fall under Schedule F — the guild members earning above the minimum standard pay for series regulars ($32,000 per TV episode) and feature films ($60,000). The contention, therefore, lies in the lack of provision for subsequent use or reuse of these scans.

SAG-AFTRA's pushback stems from a desire to secure not just compensation for these scans but also a say in how they are used, especially posthumously. The current language in the AMPTP offer would potentially allow studios and streaming platforms to utilize scans of deceased performers without needing consent from either their estate or the union. The union’s counteroffer, prepared after intensive weekend deliberations, aimed to eliminate the contentious Schedule F AI clause, among other points of contention.

SAG-AFTRA's chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, and AMPTP's Carol Lombardini were scheduled to meet to discuss these developments further. The union has emphasized the importance of these AI-related protections, framing them as vital not only to the fairness of compensation for actors but also to the sustainability of the performance industry itself.