The labor unrest in the entertainment industry has finally come to an end as actors voted to approve a new three-year contract with studios. However, some members of the union, SAG-AFTRA, expressed dissatisfaction with the deal's artificial intelligence (AI) protections. Over 50,000 members submitted their ballots during the three-week voting period, and the contract was ratified with 78 percent of the vote, surpassing the required simple majority.

In comparison, screenwriters had ratified their new contract with studios in October with an overwhelming 99 percent of the vote. However, they received a lower raise than the actors, with a 5 percent increase compared to the actors' 7 percent raise. This was a result of the studios' desperation to resolve the strikes that had disrupted the industry for months.

SAG-AFTRA valued the new contract at over $1 billion over three years. It included various improvements such as better healthcare funding, improved hair and makeup services on sets, concessions on self-taped auditions, and the requirement for intimacy coordinators for sex scenes. One of the key victories for the union was the inclusion of AI protections, which guaranteed that studios would not use AI tools to create digital replicas of performers without payment or approval.

However, some SAG-AFTRA members expressed concerns about the strength of these AI protections. The contract does not prohibit studios from using AI to create entirely fabricated characters by blending recognizable features from real actors. Actor Matthew Modine, a SAG-AFTRA board member, warned that the ratification of the contract could lead to job reductions, particularly for background and stunt performers.

Modine and other actors also criticized the contract for allowing studios to require body scans as a condition for employment. Additionally, studios can use past performances to train AI, further raising concerns about the future of human actors in the industry.

Despite these concerns, SAG-AFTRA described the contract as an "enormous victory" in a message to its members. The ratification of the contract marked the end of a tumultuous period in the entertainment industry, with strikes by both writers and actors causing significant financial losses. More than 100,000 behind-the-scenes workers were out of a job for months, and the strikes resulted in approximately $10 billion in losses nationwide.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, representing the biggest entertainment companies, congratulated the union on the ratification. They believed that the vote would allow the industry and the jobs it supports to return in full force. The strike had not only affected the major studios in Los Angeles but also soundstage complexes in states like Georgia, New York, New Jersey, and New Mexico.

Overall, the ratification of the new contract brings some stability and relief to the entertainment industry. However, the concerns surrounding AI protections and potential job reductions for certain performers remain as important discussions for the future.