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Over 7,000 UK performers vote overwhelmingly to refuse digital body scans on set, aiming to prevent AI from exploiting their likenesses and voices without consent, signalling potential industrial disruption.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Actors represented by Equity have voted overwhelmingly in an indicative ballot to refuse digital body scanning on set, a move designed to prevent their likenesses and voices being captured for future use by artificial intelligence. The ballot, which polled more than 7,000 film and TV members, returned near-unanimous support , reported as 99% in press coverage and 99.6% on Equity\u2019s website , on a turnout of roughly 75%. According to the union, the result signals that performers are prepared to take industrial action if negotiations over AI protections fail. [1]<\/a><\/sup>[3]<\/a><\/sup>[4]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n The union\u2019s general secretary, Paul Fleming, described artificial intelligence as \u201ca generation-defining challenge\u201d and said the workforce was willing to significantly disrupt production unless rights and terms were restored. Fleming framed the ballot as an expression of the sector\u2019s determination to secure contractual guarantees on consent, remuneration and the future use of scans. Equity said it would open talks with Pact, the trade body for UK producers, seeking minimum standards and explicit terms for how biometric and likeness data may be used. [1]<\/a><\/sup>[3]<\/a><\/sup>[4]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Equity characterised the ballot as indicative rather than statutory, meaning members would not have legal protection if they refused to be scanned until a formal ballot , which would permit lawful industrial action , is held and validated. The union has warned it may proceed to a formal statutory ballot depending on the outcome of negotiations with producers. Producers\u2019 representatives, however, point out that data protection rules already apply and that technologies such as scanning have been used on productions for years. [1]<\/a><\/sup>[3]<\/a><\/sup>[5]<\/a><\/sup>[7]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n High-profile performers have lent their names to the campaign, underlining concerns across career stages. Hugh Bonneville told the union\u2019s campaign that actors\u2019 likenesses and voices should not be \u201cexploited for the benefit of others without licence or consent\u201d, while Adrian Lester highlighted the difficulty younger performers face in refusing scanning early in their careers. Olivia Williams told The Guardian that some contracts appear to give studios expansive rights over performers\u2019 likenesses \u201con all platforms now existing or yet to be devised throughout the universe in perpetuity\u201d. [1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n The arrival of AI-generated performers has sharpened anxieties about where the industry is headed. The creation of the AI \u201cactor\u201d Tilly Norwood has been cited within the debate as a concrete example of how synthetic likenesses might be used, strengthening calls for clear contractual limits and protections for living performers. Industry observers note that the dispute over scans and synthetic likenesses echoes wider tensions that fuelled the Hollywood strikes of 2023, when writers and performers warned that unchecked AI could reshape creative labour and undermine livelihoods. [1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Negotiations with Pact will centre on consent, control, pay and the lifecycle of scan data, Equity said. The union has asked for explicit contractual language that limits reuse and ensures fair remuneration when likenesses are exploited by AI or licensed for subsequent projects. Industry reporting indicates that producers are willing to talk, but that finding an operational framework acceptable to both sides will be complex, touching on insurance, intellectual property and data-protection law. [3]<\/a><\/sup>[4]<\/a><\/sup>[7]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Whatever the next step, the ballot demonstrates strong collective sentiment among UK performers and elevates AI governance within screen-industry labour relations. Should talks with Pact stall, Equity has signalled it could move to a formal statutory ballot that would give members legal cover to refuse scans and take industrial action, a development that could significantly disrupt TV and film production if enacted. [1]<\/a><\/sup>[3]<\/a><\/sup>[4]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n ##Reference Map:<\/p>\n\n