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The Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) released a statement in support of the Trump administration’s AI policy framework on Thursday.
“SAG-AFTRA welcomes the administration’s National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence and its recognition that America’s leadership in AI must go hand in hand with strong protections for human creativity,” the union said in a statement to TheWrap. “Our members’ performances, voices and likenesses are not raw material to be used without consent; they are the product of human talent and labor, and they deserve protection.”
The White House released the national AI legislative framework designed to support innovation while protecting Americans last week. The plan laid the groundwork for a nationwide policy rather than state-by-state laws to navigate the growing artificial intelligence industry and its impact on intellectual property rights, free speech and American communities.
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SAG-AFTRA supported the Trump administration’s framework for national AI policy. (Getty Images)
The Hollywood actors’ union praised the framework’s recommendation to allow courts to resolve ongoing issues regarding potential copyright infringement as well as the idea that “workers must share in the benefits of AI.”
“[W]e also believe that free-market licensing must continue to thrive, combined with SAG-AFTRA’s ability to collectively bargain for appropriate licensing terms and fair revenue shares,” the statement said.
SAG-AFTRA also agreed with the Trump administration that Congress needs to pass legislation to ensure legal protections not yet in place.
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The Trump administration released a policy framework for artificial intelligence last week. (iStock / iStock)
“[W]e strongly support the framework’s call for Congress to pass federal legislation against digital replica abuse while maintaining strong First Amendment safeguards,” the statement concluded. “Individuals need control in a world awash with digital clones, but that control cannot harm the freedom of expression our industry relies upon to entertain and inform the world. Congress should move swiftly to enact the bipartisan NO FAKES Act.”
Digital reached out to SAG-AFTRA and the White House for comment.
SAG-AFTRA has long advocated for safeguards surrounding AI replication of actors’ faces and voices, particularly after actress Scarlett Johansson accused OpenAI of imitating her voice without her permission in a 2024 chatbot.
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SAG-AFTRA has frequently spoken out about AI concerns in the entertainment industry. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
The union also previously supported the NO FAKES Act in 2024, which aimed to “hold individuals or companies liable for damages for producing, hosting, or sharing a digital replica of an individual performing in an audiovisual work, image, or sound recording that the individual never actually appeared in or otherwise approved – including digital replicas created by generative artificial intelligence (AI).”
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The No Fakes Act was reintroduced in 2025, though no action has been taken on the bill yet.
