AI Threatens Stunt Performers’ Jobs in Hollywood

• Studios using AI to reduce need for human actors in action sequences.
• AI enables cost-effective creation of complex scenes like car chases and shootouts.
• Director envisions AI’s future role in generating lifelike scenes without traditional stunts.

The growing prominence of artificial intelligence (AI) in Hollywood has raised concerns among actors about job displacement, but for stunt performers, this concern has already become a reality. Movie studios have been using computer-generated background figures to minimize the need for actors in battle scenes, cutting costs. AI’s development is now enabling more sophisticated and affordable techniques to create complex action sequences like car chases and shootouts, reducing the reliance on human stunt performers.

Stunt work, a longstanding tradition in Hollywood seen from silent films to modern blockbusters like Tom Cruise’s “Mission Impossible,” is facing potential downsizing due to these AI advancements. Studios are implementing high-tech 3D “body scans” on set, possibly to create detailed digital replicas of performers, which could be manipulated to execute any action or dialogue as needed.

Stunt coordinator Freddy Bouciegues, known for films like “Free Guy” and “Terminator: Dark Fate,” expresses concern over this trend. He fears that AI-generated avatars might replace “nondescript” stunt performers, such as those portraying pedestrians in car chase scenes, leading to job loss for these individuals.

Director Neill Blomkamp, behind the upcoming film “Gran Turismo,” envisions AI progressing to a point where it can generate lifelike footage based solely on a director’s instructions, potentially eliminating the need for traditional stunts and computer-generated effects.

The ongoing strike by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) and Hollywood writers is partly driven by concerns over AI’s role in creating digital replicas of performers without clear consent and compensation. SAG-AFTRA warned that studios intend to use these replicas indefinitely for minimal pay, an assertion disputed by studios that claim to offer guidelines for consent and compensation.

Despite AI’s capabilities, Bouciegues emphasizes that audiences can still discern when computer-generated effects are being used, highlighting the role of human discernment in the cinematic experience. The intersection of AI technology and the entertainment industry raises critical questions about ethics, consent, and the potential impact on jobs in Hollywood.

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