In the midst of the ongoing actor and writer strikes in Hollywood, Netflix is looking to artificial intelligence (AI) for a crucial job position.
Netflix has started looking for candidates for the product manager - machine learning platform position that has been formally posted. Its wage scale starts at $300,000 and goes up to $900,000. For a generative AI technical director position at its games division, the streaming giant is offering a salary of up to $650,000.
According to the job description for a product manager, Netflix plans to use AI across the board. This includes using it to aid with content acquisition and production. Traditional applications, such as tailoring a user's content suggestions, are also mentioned.
AI Risk to Actors' Careers
One of the main concerns motivating the actors' strike in Hollywood is the proliferation of cutting-edge equipment powered by AI, as reported by Insider.
When asked about the growth of generative AI, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, national executive director and top negotiator of the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), saw it as an "existential threat" to actors' careers.
After failing to negotiate a new contract that set restrictions on the use of AI, among other concerns, the union's national board walked out earlier this month.
Some union members have claimed that studios have provided day rates to background performers in return for businesses collecting scans that may be used to produce digital likenesses. Background performers are entitled to a day rate as low as $200, according to the SAG-AFTRA contract.
Writers in the US have been on strike since May, as well. Some writers fear that the drive to increase profits at entertainment corporations may cause their executives to turn to AI, echoing the concerns of their peers in the writing community.
A-Listers Supporting the Union
To show his support, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson donated a "major, historic" amount to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Relief Fund. This fund makes urgent financial assistance available to union members who are taking part in a strike.
The seven-figure donation from Johnson came in response to a letter from the foundation's president, Courtney B. Vance. Johnson, renowned for his appearances in Black Adam, Jumanji, and the Fast & Furious franchise, was among 2,700 top-earning actors who received the letter.
"It's the largest single donation that we've ever received from one individual at one time," said SAG-AFTRA Foundation executive director Cyd Wilson.
The Screen Actors Guild established the non-profit SAG-AFTRA Foundation in 1985 to serve union members.
Tom Cruise has also lately spoken out in favor of the actors' strike.
SAG-AFTRA previously apparently had a Zoom conference, and Cruise stepped in unexpectedly to express his support for the actors' union. He joined the effort to get the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to reconsider its AI stance in light of the rise of streaming services.
