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Artificial intelligence “could fundamentally change employers’ business models and disrupt the lives of IATSE members,” the union said on Wednesday, setting out “core principles” for the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques in the entertainment industry. announced.
The move follows the union’s establishment of an artificial intelligence committee in May.
“AI puts IATSE members at a higher risk in all crafts,” said IATSE President Matthew Loeb. “We have a lot of work to do, but I am happy to report that union efforts are already well underway.”
AI is a key negotiating issue for both the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA, and will likely be as well for IATSE, which will begin negotiating new film and television contracts next year. The WGA has been on strike for 65 days, and SAG-AFTRA members voted overwhelmingly to authorize the strike if no fair agreement is reached by 12 July.
The IATSE core principles regarding the use of artificial intelligence are:
1. Comprehensive approach: The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies in the arts, entertainment and media industries threatens to fundamentally change employers’ business models and disrupt the lives of IATSE members. Due to the high risks involved, his IATSE approach as a union must be comprehensive, focusing on research, cooperation, education, political and legislative advocacy, organizing and collective bargaining. yeah.
2. Research: IATSE will be at the forefront of understanding how AI and ML will impact its members and the wider entertainment industry. This includes developing a better understanding of how AI and ML tools are currently being used by members and employers, the capabilities and limitations of existing AI and ML tools, and understanding the capabilities and limitations of future AI and ML tools that will be developed. It includes anticipating limits. IATSE will work to establish clear definitions to classify different types of so-called “artificial intelligence” in order to facilitate mandatory legislation and collective bargaining oversight. IATSE will also urgently identify which ships and local unions are most at risk of being affected in the near future. The IATSE Artificial Intelligence Committee will undertake a comprehensive study of AI technology, with a particular focus on how AI technology will reshape the landscape of work in the entertainment industry under IATSE jurisdiction. We also explore how contract terms, laws, and training programs can be adapted to ensure that AI productivity gains are shared fairly among all stakeholders.
3. Collaboration with Partners and Stakeholders: The IATSE Artificial Intelligence Committee brings together IATSE members and representatives at all levels, as well as external experts, to guide the union’s approach to the challenges and opportunities posed by this new technology. Union leadership and this committee liaise with relevant groups and organizations including, but not limited to, the AFL-CIO Technology Institute, Human Artistry Campaign, Copyright Alliance, Department of Professional Employees (AFL-CIO). increase. Given the decentralized nature of this technology and the realities of dealing with multinational corporations, IATSE will continue to work with allies outside the United States and Canada, including organizations such as UNI MEI and BECTU.
4. Education: IATSE members will continue to be the best in the world in what we do. We have adapted to new technologies and developed many of the tools and techniques that have pushed entertainment forward for the past 130 years. We will actively adopt new technologies and tackle this problem head-on. We assert that our members are entitled to appropriate training and upskilling opportunities to address any changes AI brings to the work environment. We remain committed to providing our members with the skills to navigate this technological advancement and to building a culture of continuing education, both through IATSE’s own Education and Training Department and his IATSE Training Trust Fund. increase.
5. Arrangement: IATSE recognizes the implementation of AI and ML as catalysts for organizing. Our union is committed to organizing entertainment workers in new and relevant occupations.
6. Maintain workers’ rights, job security for union members and union jurisdiction: Workers in jobs that use AI should be given the same rights and protections as workers in roles that have never used AI before. New technologies must not be an excuse to undermine the conditions we have spent decades fighting to achieve, nor a means to avoid unions altogether. Adoption of AI and ML should not lead to job losses, but rather act as tools that complement members’ work. We are committed to continuing to advocate for the employment security of our members in the face of AI integration.
7. Political and Legislative Advocacy: The union will continue to focus on maintaining strong copyright and intellectual property laws and represent the interests of behind-the-scenes entertainment workers in policy decisions. As a member of the Human Artistry Campaign, IATSE supports the core principles of artificial intelligence applications that support human creativity and achievement. In general, we advocate the following policies:
• Ensuring that entertainment workers are fairly compensated when their work is used to train, develop and generate new works by AI systems
• Prioritize people involved in the creative process and protect intellectual property owners from theft.
• Improve the transparency of the use of AI and ML systems
• Prevent legal loopholes that can be exploited by individuals, businesses and organizations in the United States, Canada and beyond.
8. Collective bargaining: The impact of AI on working conditions and roles falls within the subject of compulsory collective bargaining. We are working to negotiate terms to incorporate AI into future contracts. IATSE requires employers to be transparent about their use of AI, even in the absence of relevant government law. We are dedicated to protecting our members’ privacy rights and ensuring that our AI applications adhere to the highest ethical standards, including non-discrimination and fairness. We also recognize that collective bargaining is a key way to ensure that workers do not have to wait for government regulation by law. Regulation may take years or may not be implemented at all.
