President Donald Trump is getting some major props for a new AI policy framework built to protect “human creativity.”
The Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) lead by actor Sean Astin said it “Welcomes the administration’s National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence and its recognition that America’s leadership in AI must go hand in hand with strong protections for human creativity,” The Wrap reported.
“Our members’ performances, voices and likenesses are not raw material to be used without consent; they are the product of human talent and labor, and they deserve protection.”
“We agree that disputes over the unauthorized training of AI models on copyrighted works should be adjudicated by the courts without the need for new legislation,” it added.
The statement said that the union believes “that free-market licensing must continue to thrive, combined with SAG-AFTRA’s ability to collectively bargain for appropriate licensing terms and fair revenue shares.”
The union also agreed with the administration that Congress should “pass federal legislation against digital replica abuse while maintaining strong First Amendment safeguards.”
“Individuals need control in a world awash with digital clones, but that control cannot harm the freedom of expression our industry relies upon to entertain and inform the world. Congress should move swiftly to enact the bipartisan NO FAKES Act,” it concluded.
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has made similar endorsements of the new policy.
“The MPA welcomes the Trump administration’s National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence, which encourages our nation’s ongoing leadership in both creativity and innovation,” the Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin said in a statement to the outlet last week.
“Strong copyright protections and innovation are mutually reinforcing and must continue to be in the age of AI.”
The White House recently announced its new AI policy framework. It is a multi-layered plan aimed at doing the following:
- protecting children and empowering parents
- safeguarding and strengthening American communities
- preventing censorship and free speech
- enabling innovation and assuring American AI dominance
- educating Americans and developing an A-I ready workforce
This, along with “respecting intellectual property rights and supporting creators.”
“The creative works and unique identities of American innovators, creators, and publishers must be respected in the age of AI,” the White House release read, something that both SAG-AFTRA and MPA clearly appreciated.
In 2023, SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) held month-long strikes over pay increases and the issue of AI, with artists demanding their work be protected as studios rushed to embrace AI.