SAG-AFTRA Wins Passage of California Bill to Limit AI Replicas
variety.comGene Maddaus Senior Media Writer A bill to protect performers from unauthorized AI replicas was approved by the California Senate on Tuesday and will soon head to the governor’s desk.
SAG-AFTRA, the actors union, has made the bill one of its top legislative priorities this year. AB 2602 would require explicit consent for the use of a “digital replica” of a performer.
The bill mirrors language in the SAG-AFTRA contract that ended last year’s four-month strike against the film and TV studios.
It would also extend those protections to include other types of performances, such as videogames, audio books and commercials, and would also encompass non-union work. “We’re looking to make sure people who aren’t currently covered by one of our agreements are protected,” said Jeffrey Bennett, general counsel of SAG-AFTRA. “We don’t want to see the next generation of performers lose all rights to voice and likeness because they don’t have any leverage or ability to effectuate fair terms.” The Motion Picture Association, which lobbies on behalf of the major studios, initially opposed the bill, arguing that it would interfere with common post-production techniques.
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