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Hollywood Crew Union Secures AI Safeguards in New Three-Year Deal

By  |  June 26, 2024

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), a prominent union representing Hollywood film and television crew, announced on Tuesday that it has secured a tentative three-year agreement with major studios. This Hollywood union deal, which impacts workers such as lighting technicians and costume designers, includes significant pay increases and crucial protections against the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the industry.

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    According to Reuters, IATSE members are expected to ratify the agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which counts industry giants like Disney and Netflix among its members. The agreed-upon terms include incremental scale-rate pay raises of 7%, 4%, and 3.5% over the course of the three-year term.

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    Related: New Report Says AI Regulations Lag Behind Industry Advances

    A critical aspect of the new deal is the inclusion of safeguards concerning the use of AI in the film and television production process. The agreement contains specific language ensuring that no employee will be required to provide AI prompts that could lead to the displacement of covered workers. This provision is designed to protect the jobs of IATSE members in an industry increasingly exploring AI applications.

    This agreement follows a significant labor deal reached in late 2023 between the SAG-AFTRA actors union and the studios, which concluded a nearly six-month-long dispute that had brought film and TV production to a standstill. That contract also featured pay raises, streaming bonuses totaling more than $1 billion over three years, and similar protections against the use of AI in filmmaking, according to Reuters.
    Source: Reuters