1,500 actors claim they have been digitally scanned for AI without consent
Nearly 1,500 UK actors have signed an open letter from the union Equity, which claims they have been “digitally scanned” without consent, raising fears of potentially amoral use of artificial intelligence.
Deadline reports that the letter was published last week ahead of negotiations between the union and the production trade company Pact, who are trying to reach an agreement on AI use in the industry.
However, a range of actors, including the likes of Emma D’Arcy, Tamsin Greig, and Alan Davies, have signed a statement alleging that they have been “digitally scanned on set without their informed consent.”
The letter added: “We also have no transparency around how our performances, likeness and personal data are being recorded, stored and processed within the context of the production and beyond.”
The revelation comes a day before Equity and Pact are due to sit down on June 25th for a range of talks to agree on new terms, in which the use of AI and AI training models has become a significant issue.
In response, Equity’s General Secretary, Paul Fleming, has claimed that the actors are “industrial action ready” if change does not happen. He also threatened that the union could take court action against major corporations including Pact, as well as the BBC, ITV, and Disney over the matter.
Equity made its stance clear in the letter by saying: “We will not accept any deal that does not grant us key protections for the use of our personal data for training AI systems and creating AI-generated performances.”
The use of AI has become an increasing issue for the entertainment industry across the world, with prominent opponents in music, such as Elton John, branding the UK government “absolute losers” over its plans to enact an opt-out AI training system using artists’ work.
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