The performing arts union Equity has warned of coordinated legal action against technology and entertainment companies accused of using members’ likenesses, images, and voices to create artificial intelligence (AI) content without permission.

The threat comes as complaints from union members about copyright infringement and personal data misuse in AI material have mounted steadily. Paul Fleming, Equity’s general secretary, outlined plans to file mass data access requests to companies, forcing them to disclose whether they have used members’ information to generate AI material without consent.

“AI companies need to know that we will be putting in these subject access requests en masse,” Fleming said. “They have a statutory obligation to respond.”

The union’s warning intensified following its decision last week to support Briony Monroe, a 28-year-old Scottish actor who believes her image was used to create AI actor Tilly Norwood, a digital character that has drawn widespread condemnation from the film industry.

Monroe said she recognized her distinctive facial features and mannerisms in the synthetic performer’s promotional materials. “I move my head quite a lot when I’m acting,” she said. “I noticed in the last few seconds of Tilly’s show reel, that is exactly what she did. Other people have also said, ‘Those are your mannerisms. That’s how you act.'”

Particle6, the AI production company behind Tilly Norwood, denied the allegations. A spokesperson said, “Briony Monroe’s likeness, image, voice or personal data have not been used in any way to create Tilly Norwood. Tilly was developed entirely from scratch using original creative design. We do not and will not use any performer’s likeness without explicit consent and fair compensation.”

Voice replication has emerged as the most common complaint among Equity members. “It’s been a lot more common in the audio space because the technology is much easier. You don’t need many recordings to create a digital replica of a voice,” said Liam Budd, industrial official for recorded media at Equity UK.

Fleming revealed the union has already helped members submit data access requests to producers and tech companies, many of which initially proved reluctant to explain their data sources.

Equity’s strategy hinges on exploiting data protection law, which grants individuals the right to request all information an organization holds about them. Companies typically have one month to respond to such requests. With 50,000 members, coordinated filing of subject access requests could create significant administrative pressure on firms resistant to negotiation.

The crisis has exposed fundamental tensions between unions and production companies. Max Rumney, deputy chief executive of Pact (Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television), contends his members must embrace AI technology or face commercial disadvantage against competitors with no union agreements.

Yet Rumney also highlighted a critical problem: tech companies have refused to provide transparency about the content used to train their foundational AI models. “The foundational models have been trained without permission on the films and programs of our members,” he said.

Equity UK has been negotiating with Pact over AI, copyright, and data protection for more than a year, with negotiations ongoing as the technology continues to advance faster than policy.