Prominent Hollywood Union Backs Trump Administration’s AI Guidelines for Human Creators

SAG-AFTRA Backs Trump Administration’s AI Policy Framework

The SAG-AFTRA Actors Guild has shown support for the Trump Administration’s framework on artificial intelligence, which aims to safeguard human creativity.

On March 20, the White House introduced a policy framework concerning AI, designed to create “uniform national standards for AI regulation,” thereby preventing individual states from imposing their own rules.

This proposal includes a six-point outline for regulating AI technologies, covering areas like child safety, AI data center permitting, and energy standardization. It’s no surprise that this announcement resonated with both the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and SAG-AFTRA, as both organizations have actively advocated for AI regulations within the entertainment industry. As studios increasingly turn to AI technologies, many creators voice concerns over potentially unauthorized use of their work and likenesses in AI training, which they argue constitutes copyright violation.

SAG-AFTRA has commended the framework, calling it a significant step in protecting human creativity. The union stated, “SAG-AFTRA welcomes the administration’s National Policy Framework on Artificial Intelligence and acknowledges that U.S. leadership in AI must align with robust protections for human creativity. Members’ performances, voices, and likenesses shouldn’t be exploited without consent; they result from genuine talent and effort and warrant protection.”

The union further emphasized that disputes relating to unauthorized AI training on copyrighted materials should be resolved in court, avoiding the need for new legislation.

Additionally, SAG-AFTRA appreciated the administration’s position that workers should benefit from advancements in AI.

“We assert that a free market for licensing, paired with SAG-AFTRA’s ability to negotiate terms for fair revenue sharing, needs to be maintained,” the statement underscored.

In conclusion, the union strongly advocates for Congress to establish regulations tackling issues of digital replica misuse while ensuring robust First Amendment protections. “In a digital realm filled with replicas, individuals must have control, but that should not compromise the free expression essential for the entertainment industry,” they stated, urging Congress to expedite the enactment of the bipartisan NO FAKES Act.