Uncanny 'Black Mirror' storyline mirrored in real life as SAG-AFTRA unveil AI proposal

The hit sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror, known for its eerily accurate predictions of future events, seemed to have struck a chord once again with its latest season, released in mid-June 2023.

In the opening episode titled "Joan Is Awful," the storyline depicted a tech company turning a woman's life into a soap opera using deepfake technology and a manipulated likeness of Salma Hayek. Little did the creators know that their far-fetched concept would collide with reality.

During a press conference held by SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher to announce the actors' union strike, the discussion turned to the dystopian AI proposal put forth by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). 

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA's chief negotiator, revealed one particularly chilling aspect of the proposal: background actors would be scanned, compensated for a single day's pay, and the studio would gain complete ownership and perpetual usage rights over their digital likenesses, without any consent or further compensation.

As Drescher expressed her grievances, the haunting Black Mirror episode and its real-life implications became all the more apparent. 

Consequentially, media outlets reported that Black Mirror had surged in popularity on streaming platforms, emphasizing the unsettling connection between the show's fictional scenarios and the alarming reality unfolding before them.