SAG-AFTRA Strike Highlights AI Scanning Fears Among Background Actors
Background actors voice growing concerns over artificial intelligence during the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. Extras report facing pressure to undergo 3D body scans on set without clear limits on how studios use the resulting digital replicas.
Background actors express growing anxiety about artificial intelligence as the SAG-AFTRA strike continues. These workers worry that studios want to replace human extras with digital replicas created through advanced scanning technology.
Actor Prince Royal recounts a specific experience on the set of "The Flash" where he faces pressure to enter a trailer filled with hundreds of cameras. He states that the crew takes a 3-D scan of his body and tells him the images are for continuity and special effects.
Royal reveals that the crew threatens to send the extras home without pay if they refuse the scanning process. This situation illustrates exactly why striking performers demand strict regulations on how studios capture, store, and use their digital likenesses.