SHOW

By Liam Budd

AIis advancing at a rapid pace and having an increasing role in different sectors across the performing arts and entertainment industries. This includes the voiceover industry, but also extends to TV, modelling, music, dance, and gaming. As the UK trade union for voiceover actors, Equity is particularly focused on “performance cloning”. This is the process of creating a synthetic performance with digital technologies, machine learning systems or other equivalent means. This includes text-to-voice or imageto-voice translation or generation.

There is understandably a lot of fear amongst the voiceover community. However, we firmly believe that human creative expression cannot be replaced by AI and will continue to play an essential role in our lives.

If AI is applied ethically in collaboration with trade unions and the workforce, it also has the potential to positively impact the industry as well as the wider economy and society.

Whilst the pace of AI may be exciting for AI developers, it has meant our national conversation has been too focused on the benefits that this technology could bring across many sectors of the economy. The creative industry is not just a sector that can be squeezed into a productive shape. It offers something fundamental to our society, which is a sense of shared human experience.

Careful consideration is needed regarding the real and growing threat of job displacement. Equity conducted a survey which found that 93% of audio artists thought AI technology pose a threat to employment opportunities in the performing arts sector. Not only is this technology starting to replace employment opportunities, but those choosing to engage are often not being fairly compensated. The one-off payments offered to voiceover actors often do not reflect the fact that their voice may be used forever and on thousands of projects. Whilst Equity currently does not have set rates for AI voice work, if you are a member you can consult with us on what you are being offered and we can give general guidance.

Another extremely worrying development is that voiceover actors here in the UK and around the world are having their voice used without their permission. If you have experienced this and you are a member of Equity, please get in touch so that we can support you. You can also join our campaign to modernise the law so that performers have sufficient protections to control the exploitation of their voice in the world of AI.

With a government that is actively prioritising the interests of technology companies, our role as the trade union for voiceover actors is more vital than ever. A key focus is to empower our members to understand the evolving landscape and know their rights. This is vital so that voiceover actors can protect themselves from being exploited or signing unfair contracts. We have produced guidance to help identify red flags for working with AI. We are also currently working on a template contract that Equity members will be able to use when choosing to engage with performance cloning.

As we move forward with this innovation, there has never been a more important time to join Equity. Only by working together and being part of our collective movement can we Stop AI Stealing the Show.