In 2023, Hollywood failed to see the recovery it had hoped for. On May 2, members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike, halting production after only a few months, and on July 14, members of the Screen Actors Guild SAG-AFTRA joined writers on strike.

The two unions reached tentative agreements with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the studios, on Sept. 24 and Nov. 8, respectively. The euphoria that things are about to "go back to normal" may make them and their viewers forget for a while that while the strike is over, the problems that need to be resolved have not been completely solved.

More than 160,000 SAG members will vote on the deal between Nov. 14 and Dec. 5, and not all of them are in favor of it.

One of the staunchest objections came from Matthew Modine, a Screen Actors Guild board member And actor who has appeared in films like "And the Band Played On" and "Stranger Things."

On the eve of Thanksgiving, Mr. Modin released a lengthy statement condemning the SAG's tentative agreement with the AMPTP, particularly its AI-related provisions.

In the 16-page summary of the provisional agreement, more than five pages are devoted to artificial intelligence provisions (the full text of the 129-page provisional agreement was made public on November 24). Although the agreement acknowledges for the first time the importance of human performance in the creation, defines AI generation, and includes regulations and compensation requirements for using AI to reproduce actors' portraits, actors still have many issues to worry about.

For example, if an actor's likeness and voice need to be digitally reproduced during a shoot, the agreement requires the producer or company to notify the actor in advance and specify the intended use, but does not require the producer to communicate with the actor through the union, but can consult directly with the actor.

This could lead producers to force actors to accept terms in exchange for agreeing to use a "digital body double" as a condition for getting the job.

"The agreement is deliberately vague, and once 'agreeing' to the agreement means we are allowing studios to digitally capture and reconstruct our bodies and voices using AI technology in ways that are not clearly defined and that are currently beyond the control of individuals," the statement said. SAG-AFTRA also does not have the financial resources and technology to ride the AI tsunami that is coming to the shores of the entertainment industry."

In a statement, Mr. Modine wrote that he could not vote for a contract that would compromise actors' independence and future earnings. "We must provide protections for union members, especially those beginning their careers, who cannot protect themselves," he said.