Under the baobab: Actors deserve support, protection from AI threat

“Open the pod bay doors, Hal.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Dave.”

The above dialogue is from Stanley Kubrick and Arthur Clarke’s 1968 classic, “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Hal was an advanced AI computer that had gone rogue and killed the crew of a spaceship. Dave was the last living astronaut who had to shut Hal down in order to survive. It is a film about technology becoming sentient and taking over human functions.

The actors’ union (SAG/AFTRA) is on strike negotiating with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) which represents Disney, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Brothers, Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon and the principle TV broadcast networks. SAG is asking for increased compensation, which has declined dramatically, but primarily they are addressing the issue of artificial intelligence (AI) being used to replace live actors. The union says: “AI poses an existential threat to creative professions, and all actors and performers deserve contract language that protects them from having their identity and talent exploited without consent and pay.”

The Writers Guild (WGA) has been on strike since May over similar issues. Members fear that generative AI programs like ChatGPT could soon be used as a substitute for their human labor. I have been a member of SAG for 40 years and WGA for 30. I fully support the strikes. AI issues encroach on aspects of all our lives.

“Open the pod bay doors, Hal.”

The seventh episode of “The Crowded Room” dropped on Apple TV+ last week, starring Tom Holland (“Spiderman”) and Emmy Award winning Amanda Seyfried (“The Dropout”). I play a judge. And season three of Tyler Perry’s “All the Queen’s Men” will be available on BET later this month. I play James Deauville, father of Queen, played brilliantly by Eva Marcille. Earlier this year billionaire Perry became the first African American to own two major television networks, BET and VH1. I also appear in Natasha Rothwell’s “How to Die Alone,” which will drop on Hulu soon. Enjoy these episodes it may be the last work we do on camera for a while.

James Lane was a student in the musical theater program at Penn State. He was also one of the stars of “Surfacing,” our feature film about campus life in the ‘60s. He went on to perform on Broadway as Billy Flynn in “Chicago” and appeared in “Kiss Me Kate,” “King Kong: The Musical,” “The Scottsboro Boys” and “Chorus Line.” Presently he is performing in “Triple Threat” on Theatre Row on 42nd Street in one the best one-man shows I have ever seen. It runs until the end of July. Dr. Tony Leach and Sita Frederick, director of the Center for Performing Arts at Penn State, are attempting to arrange a teaching residency for him next semester.

In other news, Charima Young, Penn State’s assistant vice president for local government and community relations, is “moving on up.” She has accepted an executive post with Kaiser Permanente in Maryland. Mayor Ezra Nanes said of her departure, “Charima played a central role in forging a strong and dynamic relationship between the Borough and Penn State, and her positive impact will be enduring. It truly is hard to imagine our community without Charima’s presence.”

Around town, we celebrated Bastille Day on Friday with a six course French feast prepared by Chef Gillian at the Oeuf Boeuf et Bacon French café. The annual Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts and the People’s Choice Festival held at the Grange fairgrounds brought thousands of happy visitors to Happy Valley. This coming Friday, Next Stage will open Shaw’s “St. Joan” at The State Theatre, featuring Mandy Brown, Jeff Buterbaugh, Michael Waldhier and Jason Zanitsch, directed by Scott Travers. During times that try our souls, we should seek oasis’ of joy to help get us through.

Charles Dumas is a lifetime political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Party’s nominee for U.S. Congress in 2012. He was the 2022 Lion’s Paw Awardee and Living Legend honoree of the National Black Theatre Festival. He lives with his partner and wife of 50 years in State College.