New California Laws Aim to Protect Actors From Unauthorized AI Clones

The legislative effort is backed by the world’s largest actors union.

SAG-AFTRA union video game performers strike outside Warner Bros. Games, part of Warner Bros. Discovery, in Burbank, Calif., on Aug. 1, 2024. Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

California is the latest state to establish safety measures for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the entertainment industry.

Under a bill signed into law on Sept. 17 by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Hollywood studios must obtain explicit permission from actors and performers before using generative AI to create their “digital replicas.”