SAG-AFTRA warns AI cloning demands federal worker protections

Artificial intelligence tools now make it easy to copy a voice or likeness with startling realism. Due to this technological advancement, SAG-AFTRA is pushing for federal safeguards that keep pace with technological developments.

On the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, SAG-AFTRA General Counsel Jeffrey Bennett explained why the NO FAKES Act has become a vital labor and creator-rights issue. He explained how workers in media and entertainment now face a digital threat that can damage careers, mislead the public and outpace old legal remedies.

• SAG-AFTRA sees AI voice and likeness cloning as an urgent labor issue tied to consent, compensation and job protection.

• The NO FAKES Act is designed to create a federal takedown system for unauthorized online digital replicas.

• Bennett said bipartisan support and backing from major technology and media stakeholders have made the bill a serious legislative effort, not a symbolic proposal.

SAG-AFTRA views artificial intelligence voice and likeness cloning as an urgent labor problem tied to consent, compensation and job protection. The NO FAKES Act is designed to create a federal takedown system for unauthorized online digital replicas. Bennett noted that bipartisan support and backing from major tech and media stakeholders have turned the bill into a serious legislative effort rather than a symbolic proposal.

What the NO FAKES Act would do for workers and creators

Bennett framed the legislation as a response to a dangerous reality: digital cloning can now reproduce a person’s voice or image so accurately that the public may not tell the difference. In practical terms, a performer, broadcaster or public figure can appear to endorse a product or deliver a message they never approved.

The NO FAKES Act aims to address this by establishing a federal process to quickly remove unauthorized replicas from online platforms. Instead of relying only on state-level name, image and likeness laws, this proposal establishes a modern framework tailored to the speed of the internet.

This matters because the damage from a fake recording can spread long before a traditional legal claim is resolved. A misleading post can circulate across platforms within hours, reach millions of viewers and inflict professional harm before the target can even respond. Bennett argued that labor and entertainment law now need a 21st-century enforcement mechanism to replace 20th-century concepts.

Why AI voice cloning has become a labor issue

For SAG-AFTRA, the threat is not rooted in a hatred of technology. Bennett made it clear that the union is not treating all AI use as improper. The dividing line is consent. If a worker knowingly agrees to a specific use of digital replication, that is one thing. If the technology is used without permission to replace a performance, exploit a voice or mislead an audience, it becomes a labor rights violation.

This distinction is especially important in broadcasting, film, television and recorded media where a worker’s voice and image are the job itself. A digital clone is not just a technical imitation; it functions as a substitute for paid labor. For union members, that raises direct concerns about compensation, bargaining power and job security.

Ed “Flash” Ferenc, AWF host and a longtime SAG-AFTRA member, highlighted the anxiety many workers feel as AI tools improve. Bennett responded by describing a landscape where the technology is no longer limited to major studios. It is now available to the public, which means misuse can come from almost anywhere. This democratization of powerful tools has made the problem much harder to track.

Why are older laws no longer enough?

A central point in the interview was that existing legal protections were not built for a world of viral, user-generated synthetic media. Traditional publicity rights still apply when a known company uses someone’s image without authorization, but the internet has changed the enforcement challenge.

Today, harmful content may be uploaded by anonymous users, routed through obscure accounts or distributed globally before anyone identifies the source. Even when the misuse is obvious, locating the original creator is difficult. By then, the content has usually been copied and reposted across multiple channels.

That is why the union is focusing on takedown obligations for platforms. Bennett argued that the most practical response is not to always chase every individual bad actor. Instead, the goal is to create a system that removes harmful material quickly and limits the damage before it becomes unmanageable.

Bipartisan support gives the NO FAKES Act momentum

One of the biggest takeaways from the conversation was the bill’s current legislative standing. The most recent Senate version was introduced in April 2025 and assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee with bipartisan sponsorship.

Just as important is the broad coalition supporting the bill. According to Bennett, this group includes labor, entertainment and technology stakeholders who do not always agree on policy. He pointed to support from SAG-AFTRA, studios, record labels, broadcasters and major tech companies like Google, IBM and OpenAI.

This breadth matters. Federal legislation often stalls when stakeholders are divided over liability or constitutional concerns. Bennett suggested the NO FAKES Act has advanced because supporters spent time negotiating language that protects workers while recognizing free speech and preserving lawful creative expression.

The First Amendment and digital identity

Bennett also addressed the balance between protecting workers and respecting the First Amendment. He explained that the bill is not designed to eliminate commentary, satire, parody or other forms of protected expression.

The focus is narrower. The concern is unauthorized digital replication used for commercial exploitation, fraud or performance substitution. In those cases, the harm is the appropriation of a worker’s identity and labor value.

This framing will remain central as the bill moves forward. For unions, the argument is not just that AI can generate false content, but that AI can be used to displace workers and monetize their identities without permission. This makes the issue economic as much as it is technological.

The interview closed with a sense of urgency. Ferenc described the internet as a space crowded with manipulated material, and Bennett insisted that labor cannot afford to wait for the technology to slow down. The law simply has to catch up now.

Go Behind the Scenes of the Labor Movement

Every victory at the bargaining table starts with workers standing together. From the shop floor to the statehouse, hear how activists are fighting for better wages, safer conditions and a stronger future. Subscribe to the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to get the latest interviews with the leaders and organizers building worker power across America.