California has just signed two AI bills into law. One requires studios and other hiring entities to get consent from performers before using digital twins or replicas.
The second bill requires the permission of a deceased performer’s estate for similar requests.
This covers film, TV, video games,, audiobooks, and even non-union performing jobs. This is why unions are good for everyone.
AB 2602 bill stipulates that when a performer can do the work in person there should be no use of an AI replica.
Additionally, digital replicas are prohibited if there is no explicit agreement on how they will be used or if there is no legal or union representation.
My hope is that this legislation holds up for now.
The reality is, AI isn’t yet completely seamless yet. We’ve all seen the deepfakes and renderings that are astounding, but also slightly off. And in order for existing models to work, they need human actors still right now. However, technology will only continue to advance and become much more human-like.
AI replication will also become its own genre that people seek out and enjoy.
Instead of deepfakes and replicas of human performers, we may soon see studios and technology moving toward replacements altogether that do not bear likeness to existing performers.
Additionally, I anticipate people will also develop an affinity for AI-generated content, just as one can simultaneously enjoy animation and motion capture creations. All of those can be simultaneously true.
Finally, I anticipate some studios and companies trying to tip the balance in their favor by pressuring or giving preference to performers who agree to AI replication. So here is where solidarity with other performers is important.
Continue to humanize the performers and place value on the fact that no AI performances would exist without them in the first place. Provenance will be invaluable, and being the Original with a capital O will also be critical.
I predict that actors will need to further their uniqueness even more than they do already. How are you uniquely human? Hold onto that.
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