Movies

Gov. Newsom signs bills offering AI protections for actors

BBG News

As a seasoned actor who has spent decades navigating the ever-evolving landscape of Hollywood, I can say that Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent move to sign these two bills into law is nothing short of a game-changer. These new laws offer a much-needed sense of security and protection for us performers, especially in this era of rapidly advancing technology.

On Tuesday, Governor Gavin Newsom enacted two pieces of legislation, offering additional safeguards to actors regarding the use of their digital identities. This move responds to issues raised during the recent Hollywood strike, which was spearheaded by the performers’ union SAG-AFTRA.

Bill AB1836 forbids and imposes penalties on creating and sharing a deceased person’s digital duplicate without approval from their estate. Meanwhile, bill AB2602 renders contracts ineffective starting from January 1, 2025, if they rely on a digital replica of an actor when the individual could have performed personally. This applies only if the contract lacks a detailed description of how the digital replica will be utilized and if the actor did not have legal representation during the agreement signing process.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director and lead negotiator, stated, ‘People should not have to live in fear of being controlled digitally without pay.’ Governor Newsom has been a pioneer in ensuring that individuals and their families are safeguarded from AI duplication, which occurs without genuine consent.

Newsom signed the bills at SAG-AFTRA’s headquarters in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Newsom stated in an Instagram post that we’re taking steps to prevent anyone from exploiting their name, appearance, and likeness by unethical individuals, without the necessary representation or union support.

Today, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher declared it a significant day as the AI protections that the union advocated for in the previous year have now been broadened and enshrined in state legislation.

AI could potentially endanger not only artists in the entertainment sector, but workers across every profession and industry worldwide,” Drescher stated. “It’s crucial that new technologies are approached with utmost caution and thorough contemplation of their potential long-term effects on human beings and our environment.

As a movie enthusiast, I’ve been intrigued by the growing buzz around AI in Tinseltown. Some fear that this innovative technology might take away jobs, but its advocates argue otherwise. They believe that AI could serve as an empowering resource for creatives, providing a platform to experiment with daring concepts, all while being less restricted by financial constraints.

In the state legislature, there were approximately 50 bills focusing on artificial intelligence that were recently introduced, as the state’s political figures aim to tackle the apprehensions expressed by the general public regarding AI.

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2024-09-17 22:01

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