Yesterday, Disney announced an alliance with OpenAI that will allow over 200 of the company’s characters (including some from Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars) to be hoovered into the Sora video platform and ChatGPT imagery. We knew Disney was planning on plunging into the realm of generative AI—alongside its current lawsuits against AI companies it doesn’t have deals with—but now it’s official. As Hollywood lets this unsettling latest step into dystopia sink in, both of the industry’s major labor unions have released statements in response.
The deal does not cover actors’ likenesses or voice rights, but SAG-AFTRA, which made a point of addressing AI concerns during its 2023 strike and has continued to be vocal on the issue, still sounds rightfully worried and includes a promise to stay vigilant in its message. You can read the union’s full statement on its website, as well as below:
“SAG-AFTRA will closely monitor the deal and its implementation to ensure compliance with our contracts and with applicable laws protecting image, voice, and likeness.
SAG-AFTRA members are very focused on the rapidly expanding use of intellectual property and individuals’ likenesses and voices by generative AI tools, and SAG-AFTRA remains vigilant about any such uses.
We acknowledge Disney’s and OpenAI’s independent outreaches to us on this matter and their assurances that they will meet their contractual and legal obligations to performers and continue to implement systems to ensure ethical and responsible use of this technology.
This comes after months of frank discussions between SAG-AFTRA and OpenAI about the protection of performers. The ongoing dialogue reflects a significant commitment to taking SAG-AFTRA members’ concerns into account in the protective measures applied to image, likeness, voice, performance, and intellectual property rights generally.
In addition, we join in the objections raised in Disney’s formal demand letter to Google, putting the company on notice that the mass infringement of copyrighted works must stop. We equally object to the abuse of performers’ images, likenesses, and performances through its systems. Their output guardrails and technical protections are inadequate and must be significantly strengthened. When a platform is told that its tools are enabling large-scale copyright infringement and voice and likeness misappropriation, it has an obligation to act quickly and effectively. SAG-AFTRA expects Google and all AI providers to close these gaps and align their practices with both the law and the rights of performers and all creative talent. We know that they can, and we demand that they do.
SAG-AFTRA members are the faces and voices who entertain and inform the world. Their talent and performances have given life to a century of inspirational human creativity and artistry. AI tools must always be employed with full transparency and the informed consent of the performers.”
The Writers’ Guild of America, which was also part of the 2023 strike and has long had its own AI concerns, released a statement on its website, which you can read below:
“This morning, Disney announced a three-year deal with OpenAI to license hundreds of Disney-owned characters to OpenAI’s Sora, an artificial intelligence model that generates audio-visual material, and to include at least some of these user-generated videos on Disney+. The deal is reportedly specific to masked, animated, or creature characters. Disney also announced a significant investment in OpenAI and has stated it will be developing additional AI tools both for internal and consumer use.”
“Companies including OpenAI have stolen vast libraries of works owned by the studios and created by WGA members and Hollywood labor to train their artificial intelligence systems. We have repeatedly called for the studios to take legal action to defend the valuable intellectual property we help to create. Disney’s cease and desist letter to Google recognizes this and we will continue to pressure the companies to take action. At the same time, Disney’s announcement with OpenAI appears to sanction its theft of our work and cedes the value of what we create to a tech company that has built its business off our backs.”
“Under the terms of the 2023 MBA we have met annually with the companies to discuss AI developments. We will meet with Disney to probe the terms of this deal, including the extent to which user-generated videos use the work of WGA members. We will continue to fight to protect our members’ creative and economic interests in the context of AI technology.”
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