Mission: Impossible star Tom Cruise joined SAG-AFTRA negotiations to discuss stunt work and the use of AI prior to the recent actors’ strike.
Mission Impossible star Tom Cruise participated in SAG-AFTRA negotiations before the recently announced actors’ strike, urging studios to listen to concerns the guild had raised regarding the use of artificial intelligence and stunt performers. Despite weeks of negotiations leading up to the July 12 contracts deadline, SAG-AFTRA failed to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP). The guild later voted to commence official strike action on July 14, joining members Writers’ Guild of America on the picket lines to fight for fair pay and better conditions.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Cruise was brought in during initial negotiations to lobby studios and streaming services to heed concerns being raised around the rapidly evolving use of AI within the industry. Additionally, as SAG-AFTRA also represents stunt professionals, including both coordinators and performers, the action star was also able to provide unique insight into the proposals being presented for that portion of their membership. It is also suggested that Cruise asked the union to consider allowing actors to promote their movies during the strike, given the current state of movie theaters.
Why AI Has Been A Topic Of Contention In The WGA And SAG-AFTRA Strikes
Thanks to the proliferation of popular online tools such as ChatGTP and DALL-E, artificial intelligence has quickly evolved from a product of science fiction to a readily available content creation tool with countless real-world applications. While some pundits may be quick to laugh off the dubious quality of AI-generated movie trailers and television scripts, there is little doubt that the technology is evolving at a pace that poses a significant, even existential, threat to many working within the movie and television industry.
Potentially able to replace entire writers’ rooms or see actors’ performances digitally recreated at a fraction of the cost of having them appear live on set, it is easy to see why Hollywood’s major guilds are concerned where studios may be tempted to take the emerging technology. While it may be tempting to vilify the use of creative tools powered by artificial intelligence, the reality is far more nuanced, much as Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan recently explained. While the technology raises many serious ethical concerns, it also has the potential to add considerable value to the modern movie-making process.
From allowing VFX artists to more seamlessly digitally de-age actors like Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny to enabling actors like James Earl Jones to continue to voice Darth Vader long after his retirement, the use of AI has already taken root in Hollywood. The challenge facing the WGA and SAG-AFTRA is not to prevent its continued development but to try and place clear guidelines around its use to help protect the rights and livelihoods of their respective members. It is an issue as complex as the underlying technology itself, one that even Hollywood A-listers such as Tom Cruise have strong opinions on.