Negotiation between actors’ unions and film industry giants continues amid the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in film creation. While the screenwriters have managed to end their strike after reaching an agreement that addresses their concerns, the actors remain on the warpath to avoid being replaced by faces and voices generated by AI.

The refusal of companies, including Disney, to give ground in negotiations has led studios to abandon the negotiating table with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), which has generated growing outrage on social networks. In this context, social networks have discovered an example that perfectly illustrates the reason for the complaints of professionals: the use of extras created by artificial intelligence in the film Prom Pact, which was released by Disney in March 2023.

The film in question received mostly favorable reviews, although it went largely unnoticed by the general public. However, one specific sequence has drawn attention: in it, digitally generated extras were used. With a result, by the way, quite poor. The scene has resurfaced on social media and has fueled criticism of Disney and other companies for their growing reliance on AI.

Many Internet users have complained, on social networks, about the fact that many characters in the film were generated with AI. They have argued that the quality of AI-generated characters in the film is unsatisfactory and that AI threatens to replace background actors in productions, which would undermine their jobs and rights. For this reason, they have not hesitated to make it known and show their support for the writers’ and actors’ unions and attack Disney. “Remember this is what SAG-AFTRA is fighting against,” one user noted.

“I noticed it’s a whole row of AI actors. Ouch! Disney is crazy and it’s one more reason why AMPTP needs to abandon this plan to replace the background actors with AI. The Uncanny Valley will always make your show/ movie looks like hot garbage and ages like milk.

Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and major production companies, including Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros. and Universal, are currently at a standstill. The actors ask for limitations in the use of AI. Among other things, preventing the creation of digital representations of actors without fair compensation. Actors fear that the growing use of AI could drastically reduce their participation in productions, replacing them with digital characters.

Until now, Disney – which turns 100 this week – and other companies have remained silent about this conflict. “We have negotiated with them in good faith, despite the fact that last week they presented an offer that, surprisingly, was worse than the one they had proposed before the strike began,” the actors union said. For its part, Disney, which celebrated its centenary this October 16, has not commented on the Prom Pact controversy that is sweeping social networks.