The union Equity ratchets up pressure over AI, with its Equity General Secretary warning that artificial intelligence poses a generation-defining challenge and signaling willingness to escalate with industrial action unless protections, royalties, and modern terms are secured in talks with Pact, with a resumption planned in January.

Equity intends to use a vote as leverage in negotiations for a new collective agreement for performers, highlighting that the current Pact-Equity deal lacks AI protections.

Equity will formally demand Pact return to negotiations with a significantly improved AI-protection proposal; if Pact refuses, a statutory ballot for industrial action is expected.

There are concerns that on-set biometric data from scans could be used to train AI models without consent, though there is no evidence this is happening yet.

Actors have raised data-collection concerns, with cases like Olivia Williams noting body scans are sometimes pressed on performers without clear data-use consent.

The ballot is indicative and non-binding, serving as a warning about potential disruption without legally forcing refusals to be scanned.

This marks the first time this segment of Equity’s membership has been balloted on AI protections, and a statutory ballot would be needed to authorize any industrial action.

The vote was designed to express sentiment; it does not grant legal protection against being scanned unless negotiations yield formal terms.

Equity conducted an indicative ballot with turnout above 75% and overwhelming support—over 99% of voters—favoring refusal of on-set digital body scanning to protect likenesses from AI.

The ballot results signal strong willingness to disrupt production if AI protections are not secured, reinforcing the push for a robust, enforceable agreement.

SAG-AFTRA’s US agreement, which Equity nods to, includes an informed consent principle requiring clear signaling of digital replica clauses in contracts instead of burying them in terms.

Writers Guild of Great Britain warns that copyright enforcement is essential to prevent theft of creators’ works and to safeguard the future of the industry.