Equity Union Threatens Mass Direct Action Over AI Infringements

Strategic Insights -

The performing arts union Equity has sounded the alarm over the growing misuse of its members' likenesses, images, and voices in AI content without permission, warning that it plans to coordinate data requests en masse to tech companies. The union's general secretary, Paul W Fleming, stated that most of the complaints received from members concerned AI-generated voice replicas. Equity has already helped members make subject access requests to producers and tech companies, resulting in some companies becoming willing to discuss compensation and usage. The union is seeking to push tech companies and producers to be more transparent about the sources of their AI content.

Key Takeaways:

  • Equity has received growing numbers of complaints from members about the misuse of their likenesses, images, and voices in AI content without permission.
  • Most of the complaints concern AI-generated voice replicas, with 50,000 Equity members potentially making subject access requests to tech companies.
  • Paul W Fleming, Equity's general secretary, warned that the union will coordinate data requests en masse to tech companies to force them to disclose whether they used members' data in AI-generated material without consent.
  • The union has already helped members make subject access requests, resulting in some companies becoming willing to discuss compensation and usage, and meeting their statutory obligations.
  • Liam Budd, industrial official for recorded media at Equity UK, confirmed that the union is taking seriously the concerns of a Scottish actor who believes her image was used to create the AI "actor" Tilly Norwood.
  • Briony Monroe, the Scottish actor, said she believes that an image of her face has been used to make the digital character Tilly Norwood, which has been denied by the AI production company Particle6.

Statistics:

  • 50,000: The number of Equity members potentially making subject access requests to tech companies.
  • 1 month: The time allowed for organisations to reply to subject access requests under data protection law.
  • 90%: The claim made by Paul W Fleming that nine times out of ten, AI data is used completely outside of the existing copyright and data protection framework.

Sources:

  • David Batty, The Guardian
  • Briony Monroe
  • Paul W Fleming