SAG-AFTRA Members Testify for A.I. Protections at State Capitol

SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Government Affairs & Public Policy Committee members ventured to Sacramento, California, on Aug. 7 to attend a key assembly hearing on artificial intelligence and its impact on workers. The panel, A.I. in the Workforce: Ensuring New Technologies Work for Workers, was held by the California State Assembly Labor and Employment and Privacy and Consumer Protection Joint Committees.

The committee met with key assembly members, including committee co-chairs Liz Ortega and Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Arts Committee Chair Mike Gipson and Assemblymember Wendy Carillo, to discuss key legislation focused on A.I.. The group also spoke with California State Senator Ben Allen prior to the hearing. These visits were part of SAG-AFTRA’s ongoing support of laws and policies offering protections for workers at the state level.  

At the hearing, SAG-AFTRA National Board member and L.A. Local GAPP Committee Vice Chair Sean Astin gave testimony on the union’s behalf. His testimony touched upon important topics such as the importance of consent, compensation and control for digital replicas and likenesses, and the greater need for collaborative efforts between workers and lawmakers in designing universal public policies and protections.

“We must remember that everything generated by A.I. originates from a human creative source. A.I. has to be trained on human work in order to do what it does. That’s why human-generated material — intellectual property — must be protected,” said Astin. “Public policy must protect us. Employment contracts must protect us. And all those protections must be enforceable.

“We at SAG-AFTRA believe people should be prioritized in this new era of innovation. That means even those without a worldwide following and access to high-level legal resources should have regulatory safeguards. Tackling this challenge will take courage from lawmakers. It can be done. And, as all of us raise our voices, we increase the likelihood of achieving the outcome we all need.”

Photo: SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Government Affairs & Public Policy Committee members and staff outside the California State Capitol Building in Sacramento on Aug. 7.