Can IATSE do anything about AI?
SAG members Casey Affleck, Gal Godot, Pete Davidson, and Isla Fisher are starring in an AI movie directed by SAG member Doug Liman. In which the lighting and much of the set dec are AI generated. No lighting crew was hired.
Obviously the producers consider all four SAG stars to be valuable parts of the film. There's a reason they didn't AI generate the actors: star power and the AI protections actors earned during the strikes.
Except of course: every single one of us who lost work during the strike ALSO earned it for them.
And here they are. Directing and starring in a film that could have employed thousands of IATSE members with the exact same budget. Using the AI for scope and spectacle on a dime.
What can we do? Can we strike a deal with SAG that forbids members participate in projects using AI to replace crew?
Are any IATSE locals talking about this?? Going on strike will only exacerbate our replacement but, in my opinion (and apparently these producer's opinion) audiences still want to see their favorite stars. I think SAG has the leverage to help us. And I think we should be talking about it a lot more.