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Actors' Angle: SAG-AFTRA & Artificial Intelligence

 One of the most specific concerns in the SAG-AFTRA strike is the use of AI. In this case, the use of technology to mimic an actor's face, body, voice, etc. To actors in the strike, this causes concern in terms of job opportunities. There have been dozens of creative works projecting the "what-if" factor of artificial intelligence seemingly taking over the world. It may not be as Terminator-esque as an issue of robots with laser guns, but it does threaten the actors who put in the work to bring entertainment to us every day.  "...it's unlikely that the writers who penned those sci-fi scripts, or the actors giving soul to a machine, ever thought that AI might represent a serious threat to their livelihoods," (Lawler, 2023). 

The issue from the perspective of law lies within the actors' likeness. Their features, uniqueness, and talent, are all at threat when AI can generate and animate these individuals and take from them what they gave the industry. While there aren't years and years of history with artificial intelligence as it's still considered a newer issue, at its core it's an easy issue to understand if you see it through the lens of an artist wanting to own their art, and having it copied without proper due credit is guaranteed to ruffle feathers. 

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