In an inaugural webinar event, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland speaks to the financial, social and cultural impact of deepfakes.

SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland appeared at a panel during the Challenges and Opportunities in A.I. Talent Utilization webinar on Feb. 7. The inaugural virtual event, hosted by talent ID registry Human & Digital, or HAND, featured three half-hour panels on the proliferation of A.I. in entertainment and media: The State of A.I. Talent Utilization, Battling Deepfakes, and A.I. Talent Monetization. Other guest speakers included CAA Head of Strategic Development Alexandra Shannon, contributor for The Economist Walter Pasquarelli and AMD Director, Developer Relations John Canning, alongside other innovators within the digital space.

During the Battling Deepfakes panel, Crabtree-Ireland participated in a discussion on the proliferation of deepfakes and their real-life financial, social and cultural impact. In discussing recent real-life events involving deepfakes, he noted how it will become more important for talent to ensure trust among their audiences in the future, and asserted that more steps need to be taken to ensure deepfakes are created consensually. The audience was also encouraged to support legislation that protects against the misappropriation of likeness performances, including the NO FAKES and NO A.I. FRAUDS acts. 

In a rapid-fire Q&A where the panelists were asked about best-case scenarios in further addressing deepfakes, Crabtree-Ireland stressed the need for a forward-moving, collaborative approach.

“It will take a mosaic of different pieces of protection, whether that's through collective bargaining or other legislative efforts … [to] provide rights for artists and others in their own image and likeness at the federal level. I think every step we take together moves the ball forward, even if it doesn't result in the perfect solution. As long as we are bettering the situation and moving in the right direction, that's the ultimate key.”

To view the panel in full, scroll below. Other panels and videos are available at sagaftra.org/videos

 

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