Entertainment unions worried about Disney, OpenAI deal
Listen to the story (British accent)
A large union that represents workers in the entertainment industry is concerned about a new agreement between Disney and OpenAI.
The agreement is worth $1 billion. It will bring famous Disney characters to the ChatGPT and Sora platforms. Sora is a tool that generates videos. Disney is the first major studio to license its intellectual property to OpenAI.
People will soon be able to create and share pictures and videos using over 200 Disney characters. These come from franchises like Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars. The list includes Mickey Mouse, Luke Skywalker, and characters from films like Zootopia and Encanto. This feature is expected to launch in early 2026. However, it is unclear how the characters will speak.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland is a leader at the Sag-Aftra union. They represent 170,000 media professionals. He says the talent is worried about the future. Disney and OpenAI promised the union that the agreement forbids using the voices or images of real human actors. Still, Crabtree-Ireland believes there is a risk when giving human creativity away to AI models.
Disney CEO Bob Iger says this is an important moment and promises to use the technology responsibly. At the same time, Disney is also suing Google. Disney says Google used Disney's intellectual property without permission.
Another union, Equity, is fighting for stronger protections. They are asking actors to refuse digital body scans.
This news comes as OpenAI faces criticism. In the past, people used Sora to make offensive videos of deceased people like Martin Luther King Jr. and Queen Elizabeth II. Families, such as Robin Williams' daughter, have asked people to stop using AI to recreate their relatives.
Vocabulary46 words
- Union (trade union)
- an organization/group that workers join for protection and support
- Represent
- to speak for; act for; stand for; be the voice for.
- Entertainment industry
- companies and people that make movies, music, and shows; the business of fun things.
- Concerned
- worried; feeling uneasy; feeling troubled.
- Agreement
- a formal deal; a promise or contract between two sides.
- Worth
- having a value of; the price of something; the amount of money for something.
- Billion
- 1,000,000,000 = one-billion
- Famous
- well-known; known by many people; popular.
- Character
- a person or animal in a story, movie, or book
- Platform
- a place on the internet; an online service (like a website or app)
- Generate
- to make; to produce; to create
- Studio
- a company that makes films or music; a film production company.
- License
- to give official permission to use something.
- Intellectual property
- ideas or stories that belong to a person or company; protected creations; the legal rights given to creators/designers for their own work such as patents, trademarks, and copyrights; unique information or creations that are protected by law
- Create
- to make something new; to invent.
- Share
- to let others see or use; give to others; let others have a copy.
- Franchise
- a long series of popular movies or books (like Star Wars).
- Include
- to be part of a group; to have something as a part.
- Feature
- a special part; a service or quality that something has.
- Expect
- to think something will happen; wait for something to happen.
- Launch
- to start or begin (a new product or service)
- Leader
- a person who guides or manages a group; the boss.
- Media
- ways to share information, like TV, news, or the internet.
- Professional
- someone who does a job that needs special skill or training.
- Talent
- people with creative skills, like actors or singers.
- Promise
- to say you will definitely do something; give your word.
- Forbid
- to not allow; say 'No' to; make something against the rules.
- Voice
- the sound a person makes when speaking 🗣️.
- Human
- a person; not an animal or a machine.
- Give away
- to lose something; let someone have something for free; pass over.
- Creativity
- the ability to make new things or ideas; imagination.
- AI model
- a computer program that learns and acts like a mind; a machine brain.
- CEO
- the main leader of a company; Chief Executive Officer.
- Responsibly
- in a good and careful way; with good judgment.
- Sue
- to take someone to court; start a legal action against someone ⚖️.
- Permission
- when someone says 'Yes' you can do something; approval.
- Fight
- to try hard to get something; work hard against a problem.
- Protection
- safety; defense; keeping something safe.
- Refuse
- to say 'No' to something; decline; not agree to do something.
- Digital body scan
- a computer picture of a person's body; a scan by a machine.
- Face criticism
- to receive negative comments; get bad feedback.
- Criticism
- negative comments; saying something is bad or wrong.
- Offensive
- causing people to be upset or angry; rude; insulting.
- Deceased
- dead; no longer alive 💀.
- Recreate
- to make something again; make a copy of something that existed before.
- Relative
- a person in your family; family member.
Quiz
Answer key
1. A tool that creates videos 2. Sag-Aftra 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A large _____ that represents workers in the entertainment industry is _____ about a new agreement between Disney and OpenAI.
The _____ is worth $1 billion. It will bring famous _____ characters to the ChatGPT and Sora platforms. Sora is a _____ that generates videos. Disney is the first _____ studio to license its intellectual property to OpenAI.
_____ will soon be able to create and share pictures and _____ using over 200 Disney characters. These come from franchises _____ Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars. The list _____ Mickey Mouse, Luke Skywalker, and characters from films like Zootopia _____ Encanto. This feature is expected to launch in early _____ . However, it is unclear how the characters _____ speak.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland is a _____ at the Sag-Aftra union. They represent 170,000 media professionals. He _____ the talent is worried about the future. Disney and OpenAI _____ the union that the agreement forbids using the voices or images of real _____ actors. Still, Crabtree-Ireland believes there is a risk when _____ human creativity away to AI models.
Disney _____ Bob Iger says this is an important moment and promises to use the _____ responsibly. At the same time, Disney is _____ suing Google. Disney says Google used Disney's intellectual property _____ permission.
Another union, Equity, _____ fighting for stronger protections. They are asking actors to _____ digital body scans.
This news comes as OpenAI _____ criticism. In the past, people used Sora to make offensive _____ of deceased people like Martin Luther King Jr. and Queen Elizabeth II. _____ , such as Robin Williams' daughter, have asked people to _____ using AI to recreate their relatives.
Discussion questions
- Do you think it is a good idea to use AI to recreate a famous dead person, like a relative or a historical leader? Why or why not?
- The union says they are concerned about AI giving away human creativity. What does "human creativity" mean to you? Can a machine truly be creative?
- Do you think companies like Disney should have the right to sell their intellectual property to AI companies, even if workers are worried?
- If you were an actor, would you refuse to have a digital body scan to help fight for better protection? Why?
- The Disney CEO promises to use the technology responsibly. What steps should a company take to be responsible when using powerful new technology like this?
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