SAG-AFTRA
Hosted by National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.
10
What's Really Holding Back Latino Representation in Entertainment
<p>Latino performers face a persistent gap between their presence in the entertainment industry and their representation in actual roles. Typecasting, stereotyping, and limited opportunities remain real challenges. But there's also progress happening, and the union is fighting to accelerate change. We spoke to three SAG-AFTRA members leading this fight: Hector Garcia, National Board member and Co-Vice Chair of the National Latino Committee; Natalia Castellanos, Chair of the National Latino Committee; and Vanessa Morales, Co-Vice Chair of the National Latino Committee. They discuss where Latino representation stands today and why something as simple as updating your member profile matters more...
The Women's Committee Gets Real About Industry Challenges
<p >As we celebrate Women's History Month this March, we're recognizing not just the trailblazers of the past, but the women who are shaping our industry's future right now. In this episode, we share a powerful conversation that took place last November at our L.A. Local Women's Committee's second annual roundtable. Seven remarkable SAG-AFTRA members came together to discuss the real challenges women face in our industry—from stereotypes and ageism to gender bias. And more importantly, how we're confronting them together. The panel was moderated by Elyssa Phillips and included Tiffany Yvonne Cox, Frances Fisher, Ever Carradine, Minita Ga...
This Director Is Using Humor to Expose How AI Can't Act
<p>We've all seen the headlines about A.I. and wondered what it all means for your career. There's a lot of anxiety and uncertainty about what AI synthetics can actually accomplish. Writer-director and Emmy-winning creator Sergio Cilli, decided to find out by auditioning them. In his viral video series "Will AI Actors Replace Us?!," which has reached 45 million views, Sergio puts AI synthetics through typical audition scenarios and watches them fail spectacularly at basic tasks like loading a dishwasher or performing emotional scenes. He joins the show to discuss how humor helps performers process anxiety about A.I., and...
The Battle to Preserve Human Artistry in the Age of A.I.
<p>AI-generated content and deepfakes are rewriting the rules of creative ownership. So what are writers, artists, and performers doing about it? In this panel discussion from the AI House at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland joined multidisciplinary artist Emi Kusano and MIT Technology Review Editor-in-Chief Mat Honan for a discussion about how performers secured contract protections for digital replicas, how artists are using AI ethically in their own creative practice, and how journalists are setting boundaries around AI-generated content in newsrooms. The panel was moderated by Nicholas Thompson...
The Digital Replica Rules Every Commercial Actor Needs to Know
<p>SAG-AFTRA's 2025 commercials contracts delivered groundbreaking A.I. provisions, but what do they actually mean for you? Tracy Hyman, Executive Director of Commercials Contracts, and actor and negotiating committee member Nicole Cyrille break down exactly how digital replicas and synthetic performances work, when you need to give consent, how you get paid and what guardrails are in place to protect you. *The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or SAG-AFTRA. Any mention of products or services does not imply endorsement.</p>
Why Unions Need to be Part of the A.I. Conversation
<p>Duncan Crabtree-Ireland sits down with journalist Matt Belloni from Puck at CES in Las Vegas for a no-holds-barred conversation about the future of A.I. and entertainment. Matt asks the tough questions: Why should A.I. companies care what unions think? How is artificial intelligence reshaping creative work? What happens if there's another strike? Duncan breaks down what SAG-AFTRA won in 2023, what's at stake in the upcoming February negotiations, and why the distinction between humans and A.I. algorithms really matters. They tackle studio deals with OpenAI, deepfakes, synthetic performances, and whether the unions are playing defense or leading...
Legendary Songwriter Diane Warren On Her Superpower
<p>Diane Warren is one of the most successful and prolific songwriters in music history — and a proud SAG-AFTRA member. Her catalog includes many of the biggest pop songs of the past several decades. In this episode, she talks about the relentless drive behind her career, her new documentary and the early challenges that shaped her voice as a writer. Diane shares how she "casts" artists to bring her songs to life and why no form of A.I. can match the soul behind a truly human song. *The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily re...
What SAG-AFTRA Learned at the International Federation of Actors Congress
<p>SAG-AFTRA's top three national officers — President Sean Astin, Executive Vice President Linda Powell and Secretary-Treasurer Michelle Hurd — sit down together with National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland during the 23rd International Federation of Actors (FIA) Congress in Birmingham, England last month. They discuss the power of global solidarity, the challenges facing performers across borders, and how issues like A.I., self-tapes, DEI, and workplace safety are shaping the next era of the industry. They also reflect on their paths to leadership and the unexpected moments that come with guiding a union of this size and influence. *The views expr...
James Cameron Wants to Protect Actors in the Age of A.I. Part 2
<p>In the first part of our interview with legendary director James Cameron, he explained his actor-driven approach to performance capture and why human nuance is still at the core of great storytelling. In this second half, Cameron goes deeper into the promises and risks of A.I., where he believes the line sits between helpful innovation and harmful replacement. He talks about what Hollywood must stand guard over as these tools accelerate. And yes, he talks about Skynet and why The Terminator feels a lot less hypothetical today than it did in 1984. *The views expressed by guests are their...
James Cameron Wants to Protect Actors in the Age of A.I. Part 1
<p>James Cameron has spent four decades pushing filmmaking technology forward, but at the core of his work is something deeply human. In this video, the Oscar-winning director of Terminator, Aliens, Titanic and the Avatar films (Avatar: Fire and Ash opens December 19) talks about why performance capture is the "purest form of cinema acting," why he refuses to use generative A.I. for scripts and actors' performances, and how safety and trust guide every set he runs. The man who dreamed up Skynet also explains what kind of A.I. boundaries the industry urgently needs to put in place. *The...
