The actors’ union SAG-AFTRA endorsed the Trump administration’s new artificial intelligence policy framework, signaling unusual agreement between Hollywood and Washington on the need to protect human creativity in an age of rapid technological change.
The White House released the framework on March 20. According to TheWrap, the document aims to set national standards for AI regulation and prevent states from creating their own separate laws. The plan outlines six areas of focus, including child safety, data center energy use, and the legal treatment of AI-generated content.
The response from key entertainment groups was immediate. Both SAG-AFTRA and the Motion Picture Association have pushed for AI guardrails as studios experiment with automation in production and marketing. Creatives across the film and television industry have warned that AI systems are using their voices and likenesses without consent, which many believe violates copyright law.
In a statement, SAG-AFTRA praised the administration’s framework as a major step toward protecting human talent. “SAG-AFTRA welcomes the administration’s National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence and its recognition that America’s leadership in AI must go hand in hand with strong protections for human creativity,” the union said. The group stressed that performers’ voices and images “are the product of human talent and labor” and should not be treated as free training material for machines.
The union agreed with the administration’s position that copyright disputes over AI training data should be decided in court rather than through new laws. SAG-AFTRA also supported the framework’s view that workers should share in the financial benefits created by AI technologies. “Free-market licensing must continue to thrive,” the organization said, adding that it expects to collectively bargain for fair compensation when AI uses members’ performances.
The statement ended with a call to Congress to pass the bipartisan NO FAKES Act, which would make it illegal to misuse digital replicas without consent. SAG-AFTRA said such laws should still protect free speech and artistic expression. “Individuals need control in a world awash with digital clones,” the union said, but that control should not threaten the creative freedom that drives the entertainment industry.
The administration’s proposal marks a rare policy point where labor unions and conservative economic priorities meet. While the AI debate often centers on innovation and competition, the conversation now includes a clear push for defending the value of human work in media and technology. Will President Trump be able to Make AI Great Again?
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