SAG AFRA Board Member, Matthew Modine, expressed strong reservations to the media, particularly about the AI provisions within an agreement. Modine believes that members who consent to the terms of employment defined by the contract will be digitally exploited in ways that are not clearly defined and beyond individual control. His SAG-AFRA deal statement states: “While there are improvements and gains, I will not vote to ratify the contract. Members should vote their conscience. I cannot endorse a contract that compromises the independence and financial futures of the performers. As a National Board Member, it’s morally mandatory to stand beside and provide protection for fellow members.”
Deadline writes, “Agreeing to consent means contractually giving a go-ahead to our employers to digitally capture and reconstruct our physicality and our voices using artificial intelligence. Once this information is collected, a member can be regenerated whenever and however the contract holder chooses forever.” Within the contract, Modine has criticized the purposeful vagueness of the term consent, suggesting that it demands union members to release their autonomy and surrender their physical and vocal identities to AI technology.
Modine suggests that rejecting the current deal could strengthen the Guild’s bargaining power with the studios. He advocates for going back to the negotiation room with a sincere effort to address the issues surrounding AI and consent, aiming for a more protective and accurately interpreted set of rules.
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