After 117 days of striking, Hollywood’s biggest studios are making progress in negotiations with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) to end the dispute. The central focus of the talks in recent days has been artificial intelligence (AI) and the language surrounding it in the potential contract agreement.
Union negotiators have met with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, and the two sides appear to have resolved some of the pending issues related to AI. SAG-AFTRA leaders are set to meet with the union’s negotiating committee this afternoon in the hopes that the latest movement on AI will be enough to seal the deal.
While significant progress has been made on the issue of AI, the union remains focused on other essential items such as a mechanism for apportioning a new bonus in streaming residuals. The deal also includes a significant increase in minimum rates, characterized by the studios as the largest increase in 40 years.
The studios have issued a “last, best, and final” offer, warning that a deal is needed urgently in order to salvage a portion of the broadcast TV schedule. As the days go by, more and more feature films have been postponed as well.
It remains to be seen whether the changes agreed to on Monday will win the endorsement of the union’s negotiating committee. While there has been progress on certain thorny AI issues, not every item on the union’s list was addressed.
The AMPTP has committed to continuing meetings over the next two and a half years to discuss AI as the technology advances. The ongoing negotiations indicate that both sides are committed to addressing these issues in the long term.
With the hope of reaching a resolution on the negotiation, both parties are working diligently to find common ground and bring an end to the prolonged strike. The potential agreement will have far-reaching implications for both the entertainment industry and the future of AI in media.