Duncan Crabtree-Ireland

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland is the National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator of SAG-AFTRA, the American union representing approximately 160,000 film and television actors, radio personalities, and other media performers. He has served as the union's lead executive since 2021, previously serving as the union's General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer. He was a central figure in the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, which lasted 118 days and ended with AI protections incorporated into the studios' contract for the first time.

In 2026 Crabtree-Ireland is leading SAG-AFTRA's renewed push for AI protections in the next contract cycle. On 27 April 2026, he announced the resumption of talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), stating publicly that 'airtight AI protections' — including the Tilly Tax royalty on AI-generated performers — are a precondition for any longer-term deal. His position signals that the union regards the 2023 protections as inadequate given the pace of AI adoption in production since that settlement.

Crabtree-Ireland's negotiating stance carries weight beyond Hollywood. The SAG-AFTRA talks are one of the first major collective bargaining processes to directly address per-use AI royalties for synthetic performers, making them a template other unions and legislatures are watching. His success or failure in extracting the Tilly Tax mechanism will shape expectations for AI labour agreements across other creative industries.