AI performance replicas can reproduce a performer’s voice or likeness for screen material they did not physically perform, or alter an existing performance. They are not the same thing as every digital double or visual-effects shot: SAG-AFTRA’s 2026 TV/Theatrical Agreement explicitly distinguishes generative AI from traditional CGI and VFX. How a replica is created and used—and what consent or compensation is required—depends on the performer’s participation, the intended use, and the agreement covering the production.
What counts as an AI performance replica?
SAG-AFTRA defines a digital replica as a performer’s voice and/or likeness reproduced using digital technology. A replica may stand in for a performance the person did not physically give, or it may be used to digitally alter a performance that already exists. The phrase “AI replica” is not a catch-all for anything digital on screen.
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The distinction matters because the 2026 SAG-AFTRA/AMPTP agreement defines generative AI as a subset of AI that learns patterns from data and produces content based on those patterns. It says traditional AI technologies programmed to perform specific functions—including CGI and VFX—are outside that definition. A conventional digital double or visual effect, therefore, is not automatically a generative-AI performance replica. Read the 2026 TV/Theatrical Agreement.
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The union’s descriptions establish two broad possibilities, not one universal production pipeline. A replica may be created with a performer’s participation—for example, by scanning them—or independently, without their participation. The available definitions do not specify a standard set of cameras, recording equipment, software, model-training steps, or post-production stages, so those details should not be assumed for every production.
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Employment-based replica
An employment-based replica is created in connection with a performer’s employment on a motion picture. The performer may take part in its creation, including through scanning. The production context matters: creating the replica and later using it are distinct questions, and the agreed description of the intended use is relevant to consent.
Independently created replica
An independently created replica is made without the performer’s participation and used in a motion picture in which that performer did not work. This category is different from a replica created with a performer during their employment; the union’s contract guidance addresses them as distinct cases.
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Background actor replica
A background actor digital replica is also created with the actor’s participation. The label identifies a contract category; it does not mean that every digital background figure is an AI replica.
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Synthetic performer
A synthetic performer is a separate category: a wholly digital reproduction that appears to be a person, does not resemble a recognizable performer, and is not voiced by a person. It is not simply another name for a replica of an identifiable actor.
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How the categories differ
| Category | Identifiable performer? | Participation in creation | What it describes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment-based replica | A particular performer’s voice and/or likeness | May participate, such as by being scanned | A replica created in connection with employment on a motion picture |
| Independently created replica | A particular performer’s voice and/or likeness | No participation | A replica used in a motion picture in which the performer did not work |
| Background actor digital replica | A particular background actor’s voice and/or likeness | Participates in creation | A replica category specifically identified in SAG-AFTRA guidance |
| Synthetic performer | Not a recognizable performer | Not a replica of an identifiable performer | A wholly digital, person-like performer not voiced by a person |
| Traditional CGI/VFX double or effect | May or may not depict a performer | Varies by production | Traditional techniques that the 2026 agreement excludes from its generative-AI definition |
These are useful contractual and editorial distinctions, not claims that every production follows mutually exclusive technical workflows. A film may combine conventional effects with other methods; the label depends on what was created and how it is used.
How a replica may be used—and why consent is specific
A replica may generate or represent a performer’s voice or likeness in screen material they did not physically perform, or digitally alter an existing performance. Under SAG-AFTRA’s 2023 TV/Theatrical contract guidance, covered replica creation requires consent, and use requires informed consent. The union says use consent is generally required for each use, subject to limited exceptions; if a proposed use changes from the description given to the performer, the producer must seek consent for the change. SAG-AFTRA’s Digital Replicas 101 and its Artificial Intelligence Resources FAQ explain the guidance.
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The 2023 contract overview also describes compensation in most covered replica cases and consent for digital alteration beyond established and traditional post-production edits and fixes. These are contract protections, not a universal rule for every performer or production: the applicable agreement, category of work, consent, and use all matter. See SAG-AFTRA’s 2023 TV/Theatrical Contracts overview.
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What the 2026 agreement says about synthetic performers
The 2026 TV/Theatrical Agreement is effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2030. Under the agreement’s synthetic-performer rules, producers may not use a synthetic without first bargaining with the union. The contract says producers do not intend to use a synthetic in a human role otherwise performed by a human unless it brings “significant additional value” to the motion picture. SAG-AFTRA’s FAQ says digital replication may be considered human performance when assessing that standard. Read the union’s synthetic-performers FAQ.
These provisions are not a blanket ban on AI, replicas, or VFX. They distinguish categories and set obligations for work covered by the agreement; they should not be generalized to all performers, employers, territories, or productions. SAG-AFTRA reported that members ratified the 2026 agreement by 91.42% to 8.58%, with a 19.25% return. Those are ratification voting figures, not measures of how often replicas are used. National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland described the agreement as “implementing stringent rules that will ensure synthetics remain the exception in our industry instead of the rule.” The union’s ratification announcement provides the vote and agreement details.
Quick Recap
What is established—and what varies by production
- Established: SAG-AFTRA distinguishes replicas created with performer participation from independently created replicas, and treats synthetic performers as a separate category.
- Established for covered work: Union guidance describes consent for covered replica creation and use, with informed consent, use-specific limits, and compensation provisions applying as specified by the relevant contract.
- Not established as a universal process: There is no single technical workflow in these definitions, and the described sources do not document an end-to-end process for a named film or TV production.
- Depends on the production: The contract covering the work, performer participation, the described use, and any change to that use determine which protections apply.
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