Fran Drescher Warns Against AI in SAG Awards Speech

During the WGA and SAG strikes last year, writers and actors in Hollywood were fighting for various rights ranging from residuals to better working conditions. One big topic of discussion at the time was the use of AI. SAG-AFTRA held a press conference ahead of the strike in which President Fran Drescher and National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland detailed the reasons the union had chosen to strike and AMPTP's background actor proposal, which could replace extras working in Hollywood. While the strikes have since come to an end, concerns about AI continue to grow. During last night's SAG Awards, Drescher gave a speech and spoke more about the dangers of AI. 

"This was a seminal moment in our union's history that has set the trajectory for many generations to come. Not afraid but brave, not weak but empowered, not peons but partners," Drescher said during the speech. "During the fight for a better TV theatrical contract, global ideas emerged. AI will entrap us in a matrix where none of us know what's real. If an inventor lacks empathy and spirituality, perhaps that's not the invention we need. Dystopia stories can also become a self-fulfilling prophecy. We should tell stories that spark the human spirit, connect us to the natural world, and awaken our capacity to love unconditionally." 

"What does female leadership look like to women and girls?" she continued. "We don't have to emulate male energy, but rather lead with intellect, compassion, wisdom – and still rock a red lip. Sometimes it's hard to see the frame when you're in the picture. But a renaissance can happen. We each can work to develop empathy within ourselves. Collectively, the paradigm will shift toward peace and harmony. All of us hold in our hearts, the gentle whisper of true love. I am honored to be your president, as we now enter our golden age." 

Clark Gregg Speaks To Congress About AI:

Marvel star Clark Gregg recently testified in front of Congress as they considered the No Fakes Act. 

"Actors, like anyone else, deserve to have their biometric information protected from unauthorized access and use," Gregg explained during his statement to Congress. Gregg went on to say that unauthorized AI is not only an invasion of privacy but can affect actors' jobs. He also revealed he recently saw an AI version of himself in pornography. "I was recently sent very lifelike images of myself engaged in acrobatic pornography with, I will admit, abs that I would kill for. It's funny but it's also terrifying."

"To have fundamental things like your likeness — when you do a, let's just say a genre movie, maybe in a superhero universe, there are intense scans done of you all over," Gregg previously explained to The Wrap. "And you know, at some point, they're probably going to be able to replicate you. That needs to be with your permission, your consent, your involvement."

"You know, we're not just information to be fed into a computer. That's not what humanity is for. And I think I feel like we're kind of fighting to keep the soul in the art form." he added.

What are your thoughts on the use of AI in Hollywood? Tell us in the comments.