SAG-AFTRA is once again in the crosshairs due to AI. This time, it's an alleged AI-generated image meant to promote the union's upcoming Labor Innovation & Technology Summit, Deadline reported.

The image posted on SAG-AFTRA's X (formerly Twitter) announcing the summit features two figures: a woman face-to-face with a robot.

Karla Ortiz, a Puerto Rican artists with credits in Black Panther, Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War, sounded the alarm on the social media platform:

@sagaftra advertising a worker focused summit with exploitative generative AI is deeply shameful. The summit is also co-sponsored by @IATSE. Does this mean visual workers, whom IATSE represents, are ok to exploit & replace? This signals you dont care for all workers or solidarity.
Later, Ortiz updated her post saying that when she contacted IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees), they claimed that they weren't aware of it.
The issue with the illustration, meant to promote a summit that's supposed to be worker-focused, is that it isn't focused on the workers but on what can be achieved using A.I.
Deadline reported that a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson refused to comment. However, the media outlet also said that an insider had claimed that the illustration was an Adobe stock image created by human artists, but using AI tools, not generated by AI. The insider further explained that the image was chosen by SAG designers and overseen by an art director.
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Generative AI has been one of SAG-AFTRA's main sticking point during the strike. While the majority of the union voted to ratify the deal, many have expressed their opinions regarding the lack of the safety guardrails when it comes to protecting performers from the relatively new technology that is generative AI.

SAG-AFTRA's Labor Innovation and Technology Summit

The upcoming summit is on Jan. 9 and 10 in Las Vegas. The summit is co-founded by SAG-AFTRA, the AFL-CIO and the AFL-CIO Tech Institute. According to its website, the summit “brings together leaders from across the labor movement, entertainment sector and technology space to discuss what innovation means for the future of workers.””The Summit centers working people in conversations about innovation and technology change while focusing on worker advocacy, policies and programs that ensure working people thrive alongside innovation. From information and education to labor-management collaboration and training initiatives, the Summit shines a light on the people driving change and progress,” the description continued.

The Jan. 9 programs will be live-streamed, open to the public and free to attend. Its first day sessions include Worker Rights in the Age of Tech, AI Goes to Hollywood 2024, Workers Winning in the Age of Tech, Technology in the Face of Worker and Civil Rights and AI and Democracy.

The second day sessions are all in-person events which include The CES Experience; AI and the Workforce: Labor Partnerships that Center Workers; Tech in the Workplace: Governance, Legislative & Regulatory Frameworks; Building Tech Knowledge Through R&D, Academic Partnerships and Building Worker Power on Workplace Tech.

The illustration in question is still up on SAG-AFTRA's X page.