Pact & Equity Return To Negotiating Table On AI Following “Improved Offer” — But Union Says Industrial Action Remains Possibility

Pact and Equity have returned to the negotiating table on artificial intelligence but the UK actors union has said industrial action remains possible.

Equity said Pact has made an “improved offer” after the producer trade body “sent over new wording with improvements in relation to AI protections which had been in dispute.” “Following a meeting yesterday (Tuesday 20 January), both sides have agreed to enter a further period of negotiation in good faith,” Equity said.

This came from Pact on the Monday January 19 deadline, after which Equity had threatened to hold a statutory ballot for members who would be asked if they refuse to be digitally scanned on set. An indicative ballot came back late last year with a resounding “yes” over the matter.

Equity General Secretary Paul Fleming said industrial action “on upcoming productions” remains a possibility.

“Last month’s ballot result showed that an overwhelming majority of performers are prepared to refuse scanning on set, and that focused the minds of producers leading to this improved offer,” he added. “It doesn’t cover everything we’ve asked for, and the coming weeks will be instrumental in securing the protections performers need in the age of AI and scanning on set. If we decide this offer is not good enough, and PACT refuse to give the protections that are needed, we are prepared to move to a statutory ballot of members with the intention to undertake industrial action on upcoming productions.”

Pact and Equity have been negotiating over a set of new contracts for nearly two years.

Artificial intelligence has been a cornerstone of these negotiations, which were preceded in the states by the SAG-AFTRA union striking a deal with U.S. studios, symbolically endorsed by Equity, which included the principle of “informed consent,” meaning clauses around digital replicas should be clearly signposted in contracts (specifically in bold, capital letters) and not buried in terms and conditions. 

Pact has previously said there is no evidence that actors are being scanned on set and having their data used in the way Equity is claiming. The agreements also govern other areas such as pay, residuals and special stipulations from the streamers.