Hollywood Studios and Unions Reach AI Agreement Three Years After Strike

Three years after the 2023 strike that paralyzed Hollywood, studios and unions have reached a tentative agreement on AI use in film and television, part of broader salary negotiations. The deal, which takes effect in July if ratified by union members, establishes protections against AI-generated digital replicas of living or deceased performers, requiring consent and fair compensation. Synthetic replicas—AI-generated characters not based on real individuals—are permitted only in exceptional circumstances, with strong disincentives for overuse. Voice dubbing of lead actors into other languages now requires their approval. Chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland of SAG-AFTRA, representing over 160,000 members, described talks as intense but more collaborative than in 2023. He credited the strike with resetting studio-union relations. Studios and streaming platforms now acknowledge the importance of AI to members and agree most work must be done by humans. However, concerns persist due to rapid AI advances, exemplified by Particle6's AI-generated character Tilly Norwood, which debuted in a 2025 short film. The agreement does not ban AI but creates deterrent conditions for its use.