We’ve all seen AI deepfakes on digital platforms and they are becoming more and more realistic day by day. In response to this rapidly changing digital landscape, Hollywood actors’ union SAG-AFTRA has taken proactive action to protect its members’ rights and income. announced an agreement with Narrative, an online platform that licenses digital voiceovers for use in digital audio advertisements.
SAG-AFTRA says the new agreement, designed with input from its Commercial Contracts Standing Committee and approved by the union’s National Executive Committee, establishes fair protections and compensation mechanisms for actors who license their digital voiceovers through the platform.
AI is here to stay
Many creative professionals are still wary of AI. This fear is understandable, but a podcast On Thursday, Erin Fritch, co-chair of SAG-AFTRA’s Standing Committee on Commercial Contracts, said it’s unrealistic to think we live in a world without this technology. “This is a tool that advertisers will increasingly use, and we have to adapt.” That’s why we need to find ways to work with companies like Narrativ that are committed to ethical practices and fair compensation.
Informed consent and control
Under the deal, actors will be able to view all offers to use their digital voices in commercials, including details about the product or service being promoted and a draft of the audio ad. Actors will have the power to accept or decline any commitment, giving them significant control over how their voices are used. “Narrativ really keeps the decision-making power… in the hands of the individual artist,” FRITCH added.
Fair compensation
The new agreement also includes flexible compensation terms, allowing performers to set their own prices for the use of their digital voiceovers. SAG-AFTRA’s statement said minimums will be in place to ensure all members receive fair compensation, with the ability to negotiate higher fees for each job. Additionally, all compensation will include contributions to health and retirement benefits, providing performers with financial security as they navigate this new digital frontier.
Integrity and Copyright
Under the agreement, actors will have the ability to opt out of certain categories of advertising they do not wish to promote when creating their profile on Narrativ. If an actor decides to leave the platform, Narrativ will delete their digital voiceover and any recordings used to create it, ensuring that their voice cannot be used without their consent.
“Members who wish to work with Narrativ can do so knowing that this SAG-AFTRA agreement ensures they will be protected and fairly compensated for every use of their digital voiceover,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator.
This is an important step in the entertainment industry’s response to the growing use of AI in commercial work.
