California Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs AI Bills That Give Performers Greater Protections

If not the studios, then the law. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed off on legislation aimed at protecting Hollywood actors and performers from unauthorized artificial intelligence, which could be used to create digital clones of their likeness without their consent. The new policy, signed on September 17th, reflects the state’s effort to address concerns about AI’s potential impact on the entertainment industry. Fears that studios might use this new technology to replace workers led actors to strike for four months last year. While the contract SAG-AFTRA eventually signed with the producers includes some safeguards, these will need to be renegotiated in three years. The state’s law offers more durable and secure protections for artists working in California.

“We continue to wade through uncharted territory when it comes to how AI and digital media are transforming the entertainment industry, but our North Star has always been to protect workers,” Newsom said in a statement. “This legislation ensures that the industry can continue thriving while strengthening protections for workers and how their likeness can or cannot be used.”

The first law, set to take effect in 2025, will allow performers to back out of existing contracts if vague language permits studios to freely use AI to digitally clone their voices and likenesses. The second law, also supported by SAG-AFTRA, prevents deceased performers from being digitally recreated for commercial purposes without the permission of their estates. This measure addresses cases like that of the late comedian George Carlin, whose style was recreated using AI without approval.

“No one should live in fear of becoming an unpaid digital puppet,” said SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, who led the committee that negotiated with traditional studios and streamers last year. “It is a momentous day for SAG-AFTRA members and everyone else because the AI protections we fought so hard for last year are now expanded upon by California law thanks to the legislature and Gavin Newsom,” said President Fran Drescher after the governor signed the laws at the union headquarters in Los Angeles. “They say as California goes, so goes the nation!”

California is among the first states in the nation to establish performer protections against AI. Tennessee, long known as the birthplace of country music and the launchpad for musical legends, led the country by enacting a law protecting musicians and artists in March.

Supporters of the new laws argue that they will help encourage responsible AI use without stifling innovation. Opponents, including the California Chamber of Commerce, claim these laws may be unenforceable and could lead to lengthy legal battles in the future.

Source: Sag Aftra