Entertainment union leaders discuss the continued effect of artificial intelligence on the work of industry creatives.
If A.I. has never had its heart broken or never lost a job or had a best friend betray it, is A.I. ever going to surprise us?” said Wheeler. “We still want the stories to be coming from and rooted in the human experience, so we can push further and not just have retellings of stories we’ve already been told.
Sam Wheeler
WGA East, AFL-CIO Executive Director
At SXSW 2025, labor leaders gathered in a provocative panel discussion to address one of entertainment's most pressing challenges: A.I. regulation. Hosted and moderated by SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the panel, The Future of Hollywood in an A.I.-Saturated World, featured leaders from the major entertainment unions — IATSE International Vice President & Assistant Department Director of Motion Picture and Television Production Vanessa Holtgrewe; WGA East, AFL-CIO Executive Director Sam Wheeler; and DGA Associate National Executive Director & Western Executive Director Rebecca Rhine.
The conversation explores crucial provisions, including informed consent requirements, fair compensation models, protections against job displacement, and how unions are establishing ethical A.I. frameworks in the absence of comprehensive state and federal A.I. policies.
Episode introduction by Crabtree-Ireland.
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The views expressed by the guests are their own and not that of SAG-AFTRA. Any mention of products or services does not imply SAG-AFTRA’s endorsement.
Photo: From left, IATSE International Vice President & Assistant Department Director of Motion Picture and Television Production Vanessa Holtgrewe; SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland; WGA East, AFL-CIO Executive Director Sam Wheeler; and DGA Associate National Executive Director & Western Executive Director Rebecca Rhine at the “The Future of Hollywood in an A.I.-Saturated World” SXSW panel on March 7, 2025, in Austin.
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