UK film and TV performers have said they are prepared to take industrial action over AI, with a 99% yes vote to refuse to be digitally scanned on set, in an effort to secure AI protections.
The indicative ballot was held by Equity, the UK performing arts and entertainment trade union, with the result announced today (December 18) by general secretary Paul W Fleming in London.
Turnout for the ballot was 75%, with eligible voters made up of Equity’s membership working in film and TV – 7,746 actors, stunt performers and dancers who have worked on a Pact-Equity agreement since they were last negotiated in 2021.
Equity is currently negotiating the agreements it holds with Pact, the trade body representing the majority of film and TV production companies in the UK, to set minimum standards for pay, terms and conditions for performers working in the sector.
As it is an indicative ballot, it is not binding and does not legally cover Equity members to take industrial action, for which a statutory ballot is needed.
Equity will now write to Pact with the results and demand it comes back to the negotiating table with a better deal on AI. If Pact refuse to enshrine the AI protections the union is seeking in the agreements, Equity will hold a statutory ballot for industrial action.
Equity is arguing producers, content owners and any third party should be unable to use performers’ data for AI training without informed consent, and that Pact has not responded with adequate contractual assurances on this matter. Pact has said Equity is seeking future-facing protections, and such agreements are difficult when the future in this area is so uncertain.
“Artificial intelligence is a generation-defining challenge. And for the first time in a generation, Equity’s film and TV members have shown that they are willing to take industrial action,” said general secretary Paul W Fleming.
“90% of TV and film is made on these agreements. Over three-quarters of artists working on them are union members. This shows that the workforce is willing to significantly disrupt production unless they are respected, and decades of erosion in terms and conditions begin to be reversed.
“The US streamers and Pact need to step away from the brink and respect this show of strength. We need adequate AI protections which build on, not merely replicate, those agreed after the SAG-AFTRA strike in the USA over two years ago.
“The union believes this can be resolved through negotiation, but 18 months of talks have led us to this stalemate. With fresh AI proposals, significant movement on royalties, and a package of modern terms and conditions, Pact and allied producers can turn this around. The ball is in their court when we return to the table in January.”
“The majority of productions don’t scan cast,” said a Pact spokesperson. ”In some types of production (such as those with SFX), scanning has taken place for many years, long before new technologies like generative AI. Cast are informed when and why they are being scanned, most commonly for editing purposes. Producers abide by the legal requirements for the treatment and storage of scans.
“During the recent negotiations, Pact offered Equity terms on AI consistent with those that are in place in other countries. Equity is asking for future-facing protections that extend beyond the established safeguards already proven to protect actors around the world.
“Pact has assured Equity that we will keep the dialogue open as things develop so we can have an informed discussion.”
Adrian Wootton chief executive of the British Film Commission, added: “Today’s ballot results remain indicative, and we will be working with all parties to reach a fair, reasonable solution to this very complex issue as soon as possible.
“All are committed to developing fair, effective guardrails and provisions for the use of AI in film and TV, and it is in everyone’s interests to exhaust all of the available options for negotiation. To that end, the British Film Commission will be liaising with Pact and Equity, with the aim of supporting an agreement satisfactory to all parties.”
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