The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) lambasted President Donald Trump’s executive order blocking state regulation of artificial intelligence on Friday. The labor union said they were “deeply alarmed” by the effort, which is “an invitation for lawlessness” before national policies are in place.
“The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) is deeply alarmed by President Trump’s Executive Order to sue and investigate state laws which regulate artificial intelligence (AI) and directing federal agencies to withhold federal funding from states with AI laws deemed to be unfavorable,” the statement, obtained by TheWrap, reads.
It continued: “IATSE agrees with the order’s assertion that the Trump Administration must act with Congress to establish a national framework for AI regulation and the recognition that a federal policy is needed to ensure copyrights are respected. However, preventing states from passing and enforcing AI protection before Congress acts is an invitation for lawlessness that directly threatens IATSE members and their economic livelihoods.”
The president limited states’ role in AI regulation in an executive order on Thursday afternoon in hopes of winning what he called the “AI race.”
The order calls for a national framework on artificial intelligence regulations and seeks to “sustain and enhance the United States’ global AI dominance through a minimally burdensome national policy framework for AI.”
“To win, United States AI companies must be free to innovate without cumbersome regulation,” the executive order reads. “But excessive State regulation thwarts this imperative.”
Trump’s mandate came just hours after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a pair of AI protection bills requiring ad transparency around synthetic performers and regulated consent for use of an individual’s likeness after death. It marks “first-in-the-nation legislation” and is aimed to protect consumers and boost AI transparency in the entertainment industry.
“Rather than seeking to eliminate the only safeguards we have, the federal government should learn from these state efforts to develop a strong, comprehensive framework that ensures AI benefits workers and society,” IATSE’s Friday statement continued. “The executive order’s approach takes this harm one step further, seeking to punish states that take action and proactively address pitfalls of AI technology and use, leaving workers vulnerable to misuse and displacement.”
The union concluded by urging policymakers to reject ongoing attempts to strip states of their policy rights and “ensure that AI regulation at all levels prioritizes fairness, transparency and accountability.”
Read it in full here.
