The ending of the SAG-AFTRA strike

Although the SAG-AFTRA strike sprang into action for the benefit of actors, many were pleasantly surprised to hear of its conclusion. SAG-AFTRA stands for Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. It includes actors, journalists, hosts, stunt performers, other media professionals, and more.

From July 14^th, 2023, to November 9^th, 2023, the American actors’ union SAG-AFTRA went on strike over a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. During this period, actors and actresses were unable to promote their movies, some films even halted production because of the strike resulting in later release dates.

“I’m glad to hear that the strike is over, I miss watching all of the interviews of my favorite actresses,” said Deerfield Beach High School freshman Savitha Singh.

This whole strike came to be when SAG-AFTRA members alongside actors decided to start fighting for better pay and working conditions. Actors have come to say that even as big and famous as they are, they are not receiving livable wages. They seem to find themselves functioning against the ideal, healthy, “live to work” lifestyle. That is the problem that the strike was seeking to fix.

Not only were actors feeling unfairly treated, but the association also went on strike to get provisions put in place for the use of artificial intelligence in the industry. Many worried that AI would be putting the involved out of work, demolishing the art of performing.

This is because AI has become dangerous to those in the art space. There has been similar panic in the art community. People have been able to tell an AI to draw from the lone command of a prompt and it does. The only problem is that AI learns from other sources that are not its own so it could be stealing art.

People have been creating AI music using other artists’ voices which has made it very hard to tell whether it was real or fake. AI can also be used to scan existing screenplays and create new ones. This sparked the concern of AI in the industry because if companies opted for AI, it would put many people out of work. The appeal of AI being cost-effective and efficient can prove to be very dangerous in this case.

The conclusion of the strike was exciting as actors will be receiving not only all the benefits they wanted, but they are finally able to promote the movies that they put on hold. American actor Timothee Chalamet even went as far as cracking a joke about it on a recent Saturday Night Live episode he hosted. The strike had been ongoing for so long that the conclusion was almost comical.

Written by Annabella Palombo | Graphic Designed by Annabella Palombo

Published February 13, 2024 | ePathfinder | Entertainment