The artificial intelligence story will not go away.
Last year, the actors went on strike, in part over the use of their likeness especially in the age of AI. We are seeing technology advance to the point where creating deep fakes is getting to where it is basically a likeness that can be used in another production.
The same is true for voice overs. Many celebrities have so much content out there that their voices can be feed into learning models and replicate it.
Obviously this is something which gets them up in arms. However, this is how technology operates.
Of course, the solution was to get the union to negotiate a contract to "protect them". For anyone who understands technology, this is absurd. When I wrote about that, some felt the union won and the actors were protected for the length of the contract (3 years).
My how time flies. As stated, do the Chinese really care about the deal the union struck with the American studios? Not in the least.
However, it seems the actors are upset again and it wasn't the Chinese at the root of it.
AI Replicas
What has the actors upset? In this instance it is voice actors and they are not happy at a deal the union struck on their behalf.
Here is what is taking place:
Many voice actors are unhappy with SAG-AFTRA’s latest deal signed this week that allows one company, Replica Studios, to make AI-powered versions of union members’ voices with their respective consent.
The deal was arranged by the leadership with input from some actors. It looks like this is what the deal entails:
The actors and performers union shared in a Tuesday post that the deal establishes rules around voice capture for Replica’s use, including requiring actor consent, compensation, and some control around future use.
Obviously, this is a general statement and the devil is always in the details. For that reason, we cannot comment on the legitimacy of the deal on either side. Some were not happy and took to social media to express their outrage.
“Voice actors need their own union to stand for what’s right,” said Troy Karedes, a voice actor and community lead at game studio Aesir Interactive. “I am appalled by this decision. Actors want to work and the threat of machine learning and AI taking away acting opportunities and autonomy sets a profoundly dangerous precedent.”
Well I have news for these actors, the precedent is already set. It is called 150 years of technological advancement. Those who are no longer needed are eliminated. A union or a piece of paper will only delay the inevitable.
Is this the right move for the union and those who were involved in the decision? On this I have no idea. Perhaps the actors are getting a raw deal.
Or maybe, there are people who see what is taking place while trying to protect these people as best they can.
Welcome Technological Destruction.
It is amazing how people who use technology are so blind to it. I guess this is the proverbial situation where one is too close to the action to step back and see the bigger picture.
For actors, writers, and others are associated with content creation, it is a new world. The old rules do not apply. Copyright laws and union contracts mean nothing. The digital world is global meaning contracts and laws do not apply.
Again, does a Chinese company care about U.S. copyright law? Is the contract the union has with MGM of any concern?
The answer is no.
For those who were around 20 years ago, it was the same nonsense that Metallica and the record companies waged against the illegal download of music. Technology, at that time, completely revamped the distribution of digital content. No longer were we confined to a physical world.
Guess what happened? Technology won and the record companies proceeded to lose money on their recorded music for 18 straight years.
Did you notice what happened to many newspapers? Where are they today?
Now we are seeing technology affect content creations. The actor quoted above is correct; AI is going to take their jobs. They are done. We are going to see a time when films and television shows will be completely done with AI. The movie star of tomorrow is being birthed right now, and it isnt from a human. It is going to be generated on a computer somewhere.
Luddites
The luddites are the poster children for the anti-technology stance. What is overlooked is the fact they were right. Simply put, things did not end well for them.
Technology is extremely deflationary. This is its nature. These people best get use to it.
Here is today's luddite:
“No actors are actively trying to monetize their AI replica,” said non-union voice actor and Bungie senior sound designer Pax Helgesen. “We don’t want it in the first place. We want to act. Which, if put to vote, you would have known already.”
Well, they best get use to it. Who is going to pay them to act when a replica is equally as effective along with being cheaper to utilize?
Of course, they can kick and scream. For that reason, I will issue a forecast. Their images will not be used in films and television programs. Instead, studios are going to actively create their own AI stars, and it will happen rather quickly.
Why do I think it could happen? Audiences fall in love with some of the strangest things. Look at Honey Boo Boo. That ought to let everyone know that anything is on the table in terms of where the audience gravitates.
Industries are going to be completely upended due to AI. We are going to see software and robots taking over. This is going to have huge impacts upon society, many of which we are unprepared for.
Naturally, some are going to say I am foolish and this is not going to happen. It seems like the actors union is looking at it a bit differently. If AI was not a threat, why even the conversation about it?
The reality is we are watching the end of mainstream content creation. These actors are FUBAR. That is the first phase. There is a good chance the mega-corporations, i.e. studios are equally as screwed. When people in remote parts of the world can generate content that satisfy the needs of most, then businesses start to pop up all over the place.
Decentralization of content is already at hand. The only question is how long it takes before it is of the quality that rivals what the major entities are producing?
We should have a clearer idea by the middle of this year. If things are progressing as fast as some claim we will see huge shifts over the next6 months.
Of course, I will defer to my default and state this is an opportunity for Web 3.0.
Also, the entertainment industry is not the only one that is going to be upended. We are going to be able to write an article about many industries (and jobs) over the next few years.