Could Artificial Intelligence replace Hollywood screenwriters? This question arised during the 148-day negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). While the primary focus was on securing better working conditions and higher wages, another significant aspect of the agreement was the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the entertainment industry (Koblin & Barnes, 2023).
Writers and other workers throughout the entertainment industry raised concerns about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) could impact their wages, working conditions and job security. Under the new terms of the agreement, studios are prohibited from using AI to write or edit scripts that have already been written by a human writer (Anguiano & Beckett, 2023). The contract also prevents studios from treating AI-generated content as “source material” for adaptations, ensuring that screenwriters receive proper credit and compensation for their work (Anguiano & Beckett, 2023). Moreover, the agreement restricts the use of AI for scriptwriting and editing, ensuring that human writers remain at the heart of creative processes. On an individual level, writers still have the freedom to integrate generative AI in their creative process. However, companies cannot mandate the use of specific AI tools (Silberling, 2023).
I couldn’t help but draw parallels between this agreement and the ChatGPT policy we encounter during this Information Strategy class. Both establish clear guidelines for the responsible use of AI while balancing between harnessing the potential of AI and upholding ethical and academic standards.
With experts anticipating that AI-generated content may soon become the predominant presence on the internet, potentially accounting for as much as 90% of the current information landscape (Silberling, 2023), it is crucial that we engage in discussions and reach a consensus on regulations, ethics, and related matters now.
When looking at the SAG-AFTRA agreement, it is evident that the responsible use of AI extends beyond a single industry. It raises broader questions about AI’s role in society, including its ethical implications and need for clear guidelines to ensure its responsible application. Could this agreement be a steppingstone and set precedence for AI regulations in various sectors and industries? The discussion is ongoing, but one thing is clear: it marks a significant step in the evolving dialogue about the intersection of AI, ethics, and creativity.
References
Anguiano, D. & Beckett, L. (2023, 3. Oktober). How Hollywood writers triumphed over AI – and why it matters. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/oct/01/hollywood-writers-strike-artificial-intelligence
Fried, I. & Rosenberg, S. (2023, 28. August). AI could choke on its own exhaust as it fills the web. Axios. https://www.axios.com/2023/08/28/ai-content-flood-model-collapse
Koblin, J. & Barnes, B. (2023, 27. September). 2023 Writers Guild of America Strike: What you need to know. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/article/wga-writers-strike-hollywood.html
Silberling, A. (2023, 26. September). The writers’ strike is over; here’s how AI negotiations shook out. Techcrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/26/writers-strike-over-ai/
Really enjoyed reading your blog! It is interesting to see that using generative AI tools do not only affect creative artists like painters/photographers, but also the famous scriptwriters of Hollywood.
As you mentioned, scriptwriters are prohibited to use a generative AI tool, such as ChatGPT, to write their scripts but can use it as a part of their creative process. I wonder how companies will control and supervise this and if the scriptwriters will stay ethical in terms of AI tools usage.
I also thought, wouldn’t many new and unknown scriptwriters be given the stage due to the arrival of these AI tools? As you mentioned that scriptwriters are concerned about their wages, job security and working conditions. And I agree with them, because they should be worried. As you said, AI-generated content will take over mostly of the information on the internet and current human jobs. I’m curious if the future movies that will be shown in the cinema’s, will be made by AI-generative systems or even by robots.
Really nice blog! I like that you use a topic that is relevant in today’s world. The reason for the demonstrations is now more clear to me. Besides that, I would love to see a movie that is totally made with AI. In my view, AI is able to do this as it can write scripts and create videos and such. However, as seen with the new rules against the use of AI in scriptwriting, I do think the world is not ready for this yet as many people still are not 100% comfortable with this. What do you think about this? And if you could decide, should the rules around AI become more strict or less strict?