Background Actors Face AI Scanning Threat Amid Ongoing SAG-AFTRA Strike
SAG-AFTRA highlights the growing threat of artificial intelligence to background actors as extras report being forced into 3-D body scans on set. These digital captures spark major fears about actors losing control of their likenesses and future job opportunities.
SAG-AFTRA highlights the growing threat of artificial intelligence to background actors as performers face pressure to undergo 3-D body scans on set. Extras report being herded into trailer rigs equipped with hundreds of cameras to capture their digital likenesses, often with little explanation of how the studios plan to use the data.
One background actor shares a troubling experience from the set of "The Flash," where he stands with his arms raised for a comprehensive 3-D scan. Crew members tell the actors the scans are for continuity and special effects, but they also warn that anyone who refuses the procedure faces immediate dismissal without pay.
This coercive practice fuels deep anxiety among background performers who fear studios will use these digital replicas to replace them entirely. As the SAG-AFTRA strike continues, the union fights to establish strict boundaries around AI to protect vulnerable actors from losing their livelihoods to unregulated digital duplication.