Evercore Reaffirms Alphabet’s Search Dominance as AI Competition Intensifies 
Moore Threads Stock Slides After Risk Warning Despite 600% Surge Since IPO 
US Charges Two Men in Alleged Nvidia Chip Smuggling Scheme to China 
SK Hynix Considers U.S. ADR Listing to Boost Shareholder Value Amid Rising AI Chip Demand 
SoftBank Shares Slide as Oracle’s AI Spending Plans Fuel Market Jitters 
Nvidia Weighs Expanding H200 AI Chip Production as China Demand Surges 
Azul Airlines Wins Court Approval for $2 Billion Debt Restructuring and New Capital Raise 
Air Force One Delivery Delayed to 2028 as Boeing Faces Rising Costs 
Fortescue Expands Copper Portfolio With Full Takeover of Alta Copper 
Australia Enforces World-First Social Media Age Limit as Global Regulation Looms 
Intel’s Testing of China-Linked Chipmaking Tools Raises U.S. National Security Concerns 
Korea Zinc Plans $6.78 Billion U.S. Smelter Investment With Government Partnership 
SoftBank Eyes Switch Inc as It Pushes Deeper Into AI Data Center Expansion 
United Airlines Tokyo-Bound Flight Returns to Dulles After Engine Failure 
Trump Criticizes EU’s €120 Million Fine on Elon Musk’s X Platform 
Trump’s Approval of AI Chip Sales to China Triggers Bipartisan National Security Concerns 
Mizuho Raises Broadcom Price Target to $450 on Surging AI Chip Demand 
SAG-AFTRA has reached an AI agreement with Narrativ, enabling advertisers to legally replicate actors' voices while ensuring performers' consent and compensation, marking a critical advancement in protecting digital rights.
Hollywood Union Secures AI Voice Replication Deal
On Wednesday, SAG-AFTRA, the organization representing Hollywood actors, unveiled a partnership with Narrativ, an online talent marketplace, that would allow actors to sell advertisers the right to use AI to mimic their voices, Reuters reports.
Actors are worried that AI may make it easier to steal their likenesses, so the new deal is an effort to give them a say in the usage of their voice reproductions and make sure they get paid for it.
“Not all members will be interested in taking advantage of the opportunities that licensing their digital voice replicas might offer, and that’s understandable,” SAG-AFTRA official Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said in a statement. "But for those who do, you now have a safe option."
Through Narrativ, advertisers, ad agencies, and actors may collaborate on AI-powered audio commercials.
New AI Agreement Ensures Actor Approval for Voice Use
As long as it's at least the same as the SAG-AFTRA minimum wage for audio ads, the actor can decide how much an advertiser can pay to digitally mimic their voice. Before using artificial voice reproduction in any advertisement, brands must have the performers' approval.
US News shares that the union praised the agreement with Narrativ for establishing a benchmark for the moral use of artificial intelligence-generated voice imitations in marketing. This year, actress Scarlett Johansson brought the risks to light when she claimed that OpenAI had stolen her voice for its AI system that mimics human speaking.
In last year's Hollywood strike—the first simultaneous strike by writers and actors in 63 years—technology was also a major concern.
Last month, motion-capture performers and voice actors from video games went on strike after failing to reach an agreement in labor contract talks centered on worker protections pertaining to artificial intelligence.
SAG-AFTRA Sets New AI Standards in Advertising
Every individual has the right to their own voice and likeness. Therefore, the NO FAKES Act would make it unlawful to copy AI without permission. This legislation has been presented in Congress. The Motion Picture Association, Disney, SAG-AFTRA, and the Recording Academy are all in favor of the measure.
There has been global worry over the proliferation of deepfakes, or extremely lifelike films created by AI using genuine voices and visuals. These videos have the potential to influence public opinion.
