Performers in the UK film and television industry have voted overwhelmingly in favour of refusing to be digitally scanned on set unless stronger artificial intelligence protections are secured. The indicative ballot, conducted by the performers' union Equity, saw 99% of votes in favour, with a turnout of 75%.
The vote is not legally binding but is intended to demonstrate the strength of feeling among performers. It comes as Equity negotiates with Pact, the trade body representing most UK production companies, over minimum standards for pay, terms, and conditions.
Equity General Secretary Paul W Fleming announced the result on 18 December at the union's Covent Garden headquarters. He stated that the union will now demand a better deal on AI from Pact, or face a statutory ballot for industrial action. Fleming said: 'Artificial intelligence is a generation-defining challenge. For the first time in a generation, Equity's film and TV members have shown they are willing to take industrial action.'
Fleming emphasised that 90% of TV and film is made under these agreements, and over three-quarters of artists working on them are union members. He urged Pact and US streamers to 'step away from the brink' and provide AI protections that build on those agreed after the SAG-AFTRA strike in the US over two years ago.
The union believes the issue can be resolved through negotiation but notes that 18 months of talks have reached a stalemate. With fresh AI proposals and movement on royalties, Fleming said the ball is in Pact's court when talks resume in January. The vote follows recent backlash over the announcement of Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated 'actor' created by AI studio Particle6.
