SA Guild of Actors sounds alarm over rising AI use in film and TV

The South African Guild of Actors (SAGA) has raised concerns over the growing use of Artificial Intelligence in film and television, warning that the technology is already displacing performers in an industry with almost no regulatory safeguards.

The concerns mirror those raised in the United States, where actors have long cautioned that AI could replace human roles or replicate their likeness without proper compensation.

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The issue escalated globally when SAG-AFTRA went on strike three years ago over what it described as intrusive and unethical use of AI in productions.

SAGA chairperson, Jack Devnarain, says the risks are even greater in South Africa because the local entertainment sector remains largely unregulated.

“South African actors are very aware of the dangers of what artificial intelligence can do,” he said. He added that discussion groups are already meeting to examine the impact of AI on careers and job security.

Devnarain warned that job losses linked to AI are already occurring across the creative sector.

Unlike the US, South Africa has no formal union mechanism or policy framework to negotiate protections for performers.

“We have no mechanism to raise our grievances or talk about job displacement and the negative impact of artificial intelligence,”” he added.

He stressed that actors are not anti-technology — but are opposed to its unethical use.

“We have no objection to the use of AI. We have serious objections to the misuse of AI,” he said.

This includes deepfakes, unauthorised image and voice replication, and productions failing to pay performers when their likeness is reused.

According to SAGA, AI is already widely iused in South Africa, in commercials, dubbing, and voice work, with increasing instances of actors’ likenesses being copied without consent.

“AI is already being used to copy people’s likeness, image, and voice,” Devnarain said.

The Guild is calling for urgent industry-wide dialogue and formal protections to safeguard work opportunities and artist rights before the technology causes deeper erosion across the sector.