\n<\/p>\n
\n\tPact and Equity have returned to the negotiating table on artificial intelligence but the UK actors union has said industrial action remains possible. <\/p>\n
\n\tEquity said Pact has made an \u201cimproved offer\u201d after the producer trade body \u201csent over new wording with improvements in relation to\u00a0AI protections\u00a0which had been in dispute.\u201d \u201cFollowing a meeting\u00a0yesterday (Tuesday 20 January), both sides have agreed to enter a further period of negotiation in good faith,\u201d Equity said.<\/p>\n
\n\tThis came from Pact on the Monday January 19 deadline, after which Equity had threatened to hold a statutory ballot for members who would be asked if they refuse to be digitally scanned on set. An indicative ballot came back late last year with a resounding \u201cyes\u201d over the matter.<\/p>\n
\n\tEquity General Secretary Paul Fleming said industrial action \u201con upcoming productions\u201d remains a possibility.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cLast month\u2019s ballot result showed that an overwhelming majority of performers are prepared to refuse scanning on set, and that focused the minds of producers leading to this improved offer,\u201d he added. \u201cIt\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0cover everything\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0asked\u00a0for,\u00a0and the coming weeks will be instrumental\u00a0in\u00a0securing\u00a0the protections performers need in the age of AI and scanning on set. If we decide this offer is not good enough, and PACT refuse to give the protections that are needed, we are prepared to move to a statutory ballot of members with the intention to\u00a0undertake\u00a0industrial\u00a0action\u00a0on upcoming productions.\u201d <\/p>\n
\n\tPact and Equity have been negotiating over a set of new contracts for nearly two years.<\/p>\n
\n\tArtificial intelligence has been a cornerstone of these negotiations, which were preceded in the states by the SAG-AFTRA union striking a deal with U.S. studios, symbolically endorsed by Equity, which included the principle of \u201cinformed consent,\u201d meaning clauses around digital replicas should be clearly signposted in contracts (specifically in bold, capital letters) and not buried in terms and conditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tPact has previously said there is no evidence that actors are being scanned on set and having their data used in the way Equity is claiming. The agreements also govern other areas such as pay, residuals and special stipulations from the streamers.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n