Hollywood has been scanning extras for years - and may soon replace them with AI

Movie extras in Hollywood are concerned that AI could replace them as productions use body scans to create digital replicas of actors, NPR reports. This tension is central to the ongoing strike between background actors and studios. Hollywood has used technology to enhance films for years, but advances in generative AI are enabling synthesizing and digital cloning of actors on a whole new level.

Background actors fear they will be the first in the industry to be made obsolete by AI. SAG-AFTRA, the actors' union, wants to ensure adequate compensation for actors whose digital replicas are used, leading to disputes over consent, compensation, and future use of AI-created digital likenesses.