SAG-AFTRA Is Open to White House Efforts to Boost Movie Production in U.S.

SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director and chief negotiator has weighed in on President Donald Trump’s idea to apply tariffs to films produced outside the U.S. — and signaled an open mind about it. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the staff leader of the 160,000-strong performers union, said in a statement on Monday that “SAG-AFTRA supports efforts to increase movie, television and streaming production in the United States.”

Source: SAG-AFTRA’s Chief Negotiator Is Open to White House Efforts to Boost Movie Production in U.S.

Newsom Willing to Work With Trump on $7.5B Federal Tax Credit for U.S. Film Industry

With Hollywood reeling from the potential cataclysmic effects of Donald Trump‘s calls for 100 percent tariffs on non-U.S. produced movies, California Gov. Gavin Newsom sprung into action on Monday evening, proposing a team up with the White House on a $7.5 billion federal film tax credit scheme to provide relief to the entertainment industry.

Source: Newsom Signals He’s Willing to Work With Trump on $7.5B Federal Tax Credit for U.S. Entertainment Industry

AI Adoption Projected to Boost Media Industry Revenue by 10% 

A new report from Ernst & Young suggests that artificial intelligence could bring measurable financial benefits to the media and entertainment industry, predicting a 10% increase in revenue and a 15% decrease in operational costs for companies that adopt the technology strategically. With content demands growing across streaming, digital platforms, and global markets, the findings come at a moment when studios are seeking ways to scale output without scaling overhead.

Source: AI Adoption Projected to Boost Media Industry Revenue by 10% — AI In Hollywood

U.S. Urges Breakup of Google Ad Businesses

Google should sell two of its ad businesses to address antitrust issues, the U.S. Justice Department said in a court filing after a federal judge ruled last month that the tech giant had created a monopoly in advertising, a move that could upend one of the company’s core businesses. Citing a court opinion issued April 17, a court filing dated May 5 said Google unlawfully acquired and maintained monopoly power in the ad-exchange market, which has harmed competition.

Source: U.S. Urges Breakup of Google Ad Businesses

WMG launches Pulse app for artists to track streams, earnings, and fan engagement

Warner Music Group has launched a new app called WMG Pulse, described as a “powerful new platform that puts clear, meaningful insights into the hands of artists and songwriters”. The app lets WMG artists, songwriters, their managers, and teams access real-time information about streaming performance, fan engagement, and earnings across various platforms.

Source: Warner Music Group launches WMG Pulse app for artists and songwriters to track streams, earnings, and fan engagement

Trump Promises to Extend TikTok Ban Deadline Again

President Trump has stated he would extend the TikTok sale deadline yet again to avoid a ban of the platform in the US. It’s unclear if any negotiations with ByteDance will be successful—especially since there’s seemingly no pressure to get a deal done by any deadline. The deadline for Chinese company ByteDance to divest from the platform is now June 19 after being extended twice.

Source: Trump Promises to Extend TikTok Ban Deadline Again

Downtown Licenses Content to Audius Blockchain Platform

The deal encompasses both the recording and publishing side of Downtown’s business, and paves the way for millions of licensed recordings from Downtown’s extensive catalog to be added to Audius. It also unlocks a new way for Downtown’s artists and labels to directly connect with their fans and control how their music is monetized beyond the typical streaming model.

Source: Downtown Licenses Content to Audius Blockchain Platform

Merlin Officially Joins the Music Fights Fraud Alliance

Months after bringing on its first director of content integrity, Merlin has officially joined the Music Fights Fraud Alliance (MFFA). Established in 2023, Music Fights Fraud, in keeping with its name, bills itself as “a global task force aimed at eradicating streaming fraud.” And in pursuit of the objective, MFFA is said to collaborate with the 23-year-old National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA) on “a shared database of identified fraud markers.”

Source: Merlin Officially Joins the Music Fights Fraud Alliance

SAG-AFTRA Chief Lays Out AI Protections It Will Be Looking For In Next Studio Contract

Artificial intelligence was a major factor in the actors strike of 2023 and the burgeoning technology will remain a key element in next year’s negotiations. Speaking on a Deadline-moderated panel at SeriesFest in Denver, Crabtree-Ireland, who is National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator at SAG-AFTRA, revealed that the guild would be “starting our preparations for negotiations this fall.” He said that he believes that AI will be an important factor in these talks.

Source: SAG-AFTRA Chief Lays Out What AI Protections It Will Be Looking For In Next Studio Contract

Anthropic CEO Admits We Have No Idea How AI Works

In an essay published to his personal website, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei announced plans to create a robust “MRI on AI” within the next decade. “When a generative AI system does something, like summarize a financial document, we have no idea, at a specific or precise level, why it makes the choices it does — why it chooses certain words over others, or why it occasionally makes a mistake despite usually being accurate,” the Anthropic CEO admitted.

Source: Anthropic CEO Admits We Have No Idea How AI Works

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