Posted in: Paramount+, Star Trek, streaming, TV | Tagged: ai, artificial intelligence, michelle hurd, paramount, Star Trek Picard

Star Trek: Michelle Hurd on Importance of AI Compensation, Guardrails

Star Trek: Picard star Michelle Hurd opens up about the importance of having AI guardrails & compensation in place to protect actors.

Published Wed, 21 Feb 2024 04:37:09 -0600

by Tom Chang

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Article Summary

Michelle Hurd discusses AI ethics and compensation in Hollywood.
AI technology in SAG-AFTRA contracts now requires consent and fair pay for use.
Hurd emphasizes the win-win of respecting estates and actors’ rights.
Hurd negotiates terms for AI-generated scenes with her likeness.

Artificial intelligence has always had a presence in Star Trek since The Original Series, largely as a nefarious force. Arguably the biggest threat introduced during The Next Generation era was the cybernetic species The Borg, which assimilated all biological life they could and destroyed those they couldn't. While the narrative has shifted over the years, technology has advanced through leaps and bounds to the point where AI can produce scripts, replicate likenesses and sounds, and even create original content. It became a sticking point during the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes of 2023. One of the strike captains was Star Trek: Picard star Michelle Hurd, who didn't want studios to use AI to replace artists but, if it's used, receive fair compensation to the consenting original talent. Hurd spoke to TrekMovie.com about the idea that Paramount using AI to recreate deceased actors in new projects and what she thinks if her likeness was used to recreate her character, Raffi.

Star Trek: Picard Star Michelle Calls Out Hollywood on AI Use

After being told about TOS star William Shatner consenting for his likeness to be used if needed if he or his estate is fairly compensated, "What I love is that we now have codified in our contract for AI technology is there is consent, compensation, and pension and health contributions," Hurd said. "So if they wanted to bring back people, perhaps people that have passed, they have to talk to the estate and living relatives and get permission and get compensation, so everybody wins, if you think about it. So you can bring those people alive and do all that kind of stuff, but you are doing it in a correct way, and everyone is being paid for it. If you think about it, our industry is the only one that has actually put guardrails on AI technology."

When asked if Paramount did ask her permission without her physical presence, "Well, the thing that I love about that possibility is… say that I was shooting something in New York or in California, and they go 'Oh, we really want to do this AI-generated scene with you, but you don't have to be here,'" Hurd said. "I now negotiate how much they have to pay me to do that. And I still get to be in that LA shooting whatever scene I'm doing right there. So ostensibly, I'm doing two jobs at the same time. I think that's pretty good as long as they paid me what I negotiated, and I get the consent of what they're going to do with the character." Star Trek: Picard is available to stream on Paramount+.

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