It may only be a month on from its release, but the first episode ofBlack MirrorSeason 6, titled “Joan Is Awful,” is already starting to hit terrifyingly close to home. The episode addresses the use of Artificial Intelligence in the entertainment industry, something which has since become a burgeoning point of contention between real-life creatives and major studios. In fact, the issue is one of the biggest reasons for the strike currently being conducted byThe Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists(SAG-AFTRA), the labor union for working performers in the US.
This is the first time that SAG-AFTRA has gone on strike since 2000, and part of it is due to Hollywood’s unwillingness to concede on the use of AI-generated “actors” in film and television. Corporations such asNetflix,Disney,Amazon,Apple,Paramount, andWarner Bros Discovery— whose interests are represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) — have refused to back down on the idea. ToBlack Mirrorfans, this story is hauntingly familiar.
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“Joan Is Awful” Imagines a Reality Where AI Takes Over Hollywood
Speculating over the dystopian potentials of technology may beBlack Mirror’s M.O., but seeing its predictions play out in real life is definitely freaky; the comparisons are so uncanny, it’s as if the AMPTP took inspiration directly from the episode. If you still haven’t seen it, here’s what you need to know:“Joan Is Awful”follows a woman named Joan (Annie Murphy) who discovers the existence of a streaming TV show about her life, titled — you guessed it — “Joan Is Awful.” In it, she’s played bySalma Hayek, who acts out a retelling of Joan’s day, with some scenes airing just moments after the real-life corresponding events occur.
Joan finds out that this is all completely legal, asshe permitted Netflix knock-off Streamberry the rightto use her identity when agreeing to the platform’s terms and conditions. She is then informed that she isn’t even being portrayed by the real Salma Hayek, but instead a digital likeness of the actress that was licensed to the studio. In protest, Joan defecates in public to get the real Hayek’s attention, and it works; when Hayek sees this action depicted by her likeness on screen, she’s appalled. Unfortunately, she’s unable to get the show shut down, as she’d already signed away the rights to her image forever, thus Streamberry can use it as they see fit. Later on, it’s revealed that Joan isn’t even the real Joan, and is instead a fictionalized version of “Source Joan” that uses Annie Murphy’s likeness; Hayek is also a computer-generated reproduction of the real actress. “Source Joan” eventually destroys the quantum computer containing all the AI copies and reclaims control over her life.
The Relationship Between AI and the SAG-AFTRA Strike
In 2023, this is pretty much exactly what studios are trying to make happen. SAG-AFTRA has said that AMPTP is proposing a model in whichbackground actors are scanned, and their likenesses stored, to be used forever at the studios’ behest. On top of this, zero compensation would be offered other than one measly day’s rate. It’s a cartoonishly evil plan that would surely produce creepy, uncanny-valley results if it ever came to fruition; more importantly, the suggestion threatens an entire livelihood, while also completely devaluing actors and their contribution to the art of television and film.
Understandably, actors are outraged, and we are too — and that’s without even mentioning the crop of other issues that are also at stake in the strike, like fair wages and streaming residuals. As for the strike’s timing in relation to “Joan Is Awful”: it’s purely coincidental. SAG-AFTRA’s contract with studios, whichwent into effect on July 02, 2025, at the height of the pandemic, expired on June 30 of this year. On July 16, 2025, a strike authorization wasapproved by SAG-AFTRA members, with 97.9% of the 47.7% turnout voting in favor. The union then agreed to extend negotiations through midnight on July 13, but these broke down, and a deal was not reached, sothe strike is now officially in action. The strike is running concurrently with the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, which commenced on May 2 and is also tackling the threat of AI to writers.
In “Joan Is Awful,” fictional Netflix is the villain, and now life is imitating art. Those still unconvinced of the AMPTP’s mustache-twirling, Machiavellian ways need only hear of their self-proclaimed desire to“allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses,”regarding the WGA strikers. The SAG-AFTRA strike is likely to end sooner, due to actors having more leverage — as of now, nothing can get made, including stuff that’s already written. But both writers and actors deserve to have their demands met. AI usage driven by corporate greed poses a real risk to artistic professions, and many struggling artists are already being hurt by corrupt studios.
Under the rules of the SAG-AFTRA strike,it’s not just filming that stops, but anything from auditions to rehearsals, and most crucially, publicity for TV and film projects, which includes press tours, premieres, award shows,conventions, and even social media posts. Thecast ofOppenheimerwalked outof their London premiere when the strike went into effect, whereas theEmmys ceremonyis likely going to be postponed, and nominees are unable to campaign. The ramifications are already starting to be felt, which means hopefully, studios will begin feeling the pressure. Actors and writers are not replaceable; art produced by AI is not new, and it doesn’t come close to the real thing. By releasing “Joan Is Awful,” Netflix has painted a realistic picture of what the future of entertainment could look like, and it’s one that nobody but them wants to see.
