Fellow Supporters and Human Rights Advocates,

We have to do something!

Big Tech has crept into countless daily human experiences. From customer service, to design, to self checkouts, and now- especially- it threatens to replace hundreds of thousands of jobs in and surrounding the Arts and Entertainment industries.

I'm sure you are aware of the industry strikes in Hollywood by the countless professional laborers Hollywood employs. Well that's me. I'm one of them. I don't have a mansion in the Hills, or millions of dollars in the bank. I'm a journeymen stuntman whose name you may not know, but you've very likely watched and enjoyed any of the countless movies and shows myself and my colleagues have worked over the life of our careers. We all share something in common, we love stories!

We all have unique stories. It’s what SAG-AFTRA (a union of skilled Human talent), strives to preserve and protect. My colleagues and I are the part of the 99% of hard-working laborers in this country. We don't get to decide what shiny new toy, or app, or tech Wall Street investors chose to make billions on. We just work, and we work hard. But just in the past year of strikes, we've come face-to-face with a terrifying reality, the ramifications of which stretch far beyond Hollywood to countless other professions and careers: AI technology has been allowed and encouraged to replace us. Peoples livelihoods are at stake. It's more than merely faster-quicker-cheaper “content”, it's a blatant Human Rights violation. While it is starting on our front door, this fight is ALL of our fight.

The Sag-Aftra membership is currently mid-ratification on our pending contract, in which new language surrounding AI technology has been codified with the hopes of protecting over 160,000 talent from being replaced and devalued by digital scans of our likenesses, physical work, and contributions to the art of film making. We have already undergone scans (comprised of hundreds of high-quality photos from every angle) for movies and shows over the past several years, without the ability to forgo having our data stored and potentially hacked by a third party. In the age of identity theft, this is palpable and worrisome.

A strong percentage of Sag-Aftra membership have publicly expressed our concerns that the language in place in our pending contract is not strong enough nor specific enough to protect us from our biometric data being stolen (something which- among other necessities- is not addressed in the current language). If ratified by members, this contract becomes a cornerstone for everyone in a world where we may all be at risk of losing control over our digital selves. Feeding our scans and voices into machine-learning is essentially handing over our entire identity. My phone plan has better protections. Yours does, too. We have to do better.

Can we trust “good faith” (mentioned 12 times under crucial provisions) from industries known for Hollywood accounting and mastering loophole navigation? Moreover, the use of AI doubles could lead to countless job losses across various departments, including stunts, hair, makeup, catering, and transportation.

Understand, I am not advocating against AI. It's here and Wall Street is content to make it as profitable as possible for wealthy shareholders, private equity and studio heads. But we are at a technology inflection point, and there’s a responsible way to implement this technology that prioritizes Humanity. This strike has already led to tremendous losses, even lives. This contract proposes paying actors to train the very AI systems aiming to replace us. We must not be complicit in dismantling our industry.

Please, take a moment to question what technology is doing to us. In an age of rising depression and suicide, human connection becomes even more vital. It's why so many gravitate toward the Arts and Entertainment: to connect, to think and feel, to expand consciousness, to question... everything.

AI “art” is like junk food; eventually, we crave something more substantial, more human. We have to fight not to lose it, now.

Join us in this pivotal moment in history, to demand that the US government and AMPTP lead the charge in establishing a new precedent for Identity Protection in our technology-driven era. Let's ensure that the SAG-AFTRA contract serves as a beacon for the rights of individuals everywhere, protecting our digital selves with the same fervor as our physical bodies. Technology should enhance us, not replace us!

Please use your social media and #HumanSideOfHistory to show your conviction that humans must take precedence in this new world. Technological advancements could enhance and enrich our lives. But currently, it stands to disrupt the vital communications and expressions of our communities.

To everyone at home: Please support this petition to urge the AMPTP to offer a contract that genuinely safeguards our digital identities and upholds our Human Rights. Let’s make a stand for humanity, together.

Technology should enhance us, not replace us!

#HumanSideOfHistory