Hollywood screenwriters’ strike broke out this week over wages, but studios like Netflix and Disney have refused to rule out the possibility of artificial intelligence replacing human scribes in the future. only fueled anger and fear on the picket line.
AI programs like ChatGPT have taken many industries by surprise lately, as their ability to eerily mimic human speech is advancing rapidly. The White House this week subpoenaed Big Tech to discuss potential risks.
As part of weeks of talks with studios and streamers that collapsed Monday, the Writers Guild of America has sought a binding agreement to regulate the use of AI.
Under the proposal, anything written by an AI cannot be considered “literary” or “source” material (an industry term that determines who receives royalties), and scripts written by WGA members cannot be considered “literary” or “source” material. It cannot be “used to train AI”.
However, according to WGA, the studio “rejected our proposal” and countered with a proposal to hold only one meeting per year to “discuss technological advances.”
“It would be great to offer to have a meeting about how they are abusing it against us!” WGA negotiating committee member Eric Heisserer, who wrote the Netflix hit movie “Bird Box.” joked.
“Art cannot be made by machine. You lose the heart and soul of the story… So the first word is ‘artificial’.”
Writers already know this, but the danger is “we’ll have to watch technology companies destroy their businesses by trying to find out for themselves.”
– “Not just a script” –
Few television or film writers told AFP that they believed computers could do their jobs, but it seems unnecessary to see studios and streamers so convinced. It was a slap.
They’re trying to cut costs even further by having the computer write the next hit show for Hollywood’s strict executives, whose Silicon Valley companies have upended many traditional practices such as long-term writer contracts. I am afraid that I will.
Comments by top Hollywood executives at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills this week did not allay writers’ concerns.
“Within the next three years, we’re going to see movies written by AI. Good stuff,” said film producer Todd Lieberman.
“It’s not just the script, it’s the editing, the film storyboards, whatever,” added Rob Wade, CEO of Fox Entertainment.
“The AI of the future, maybe not next year or the year after, but in 10 years, AI will be able to do all these things perfectly.”
The studio’s own explanation of the breakdown of WGA negotiations offered a more nuanced view.
In a briefing note shared by AFP, the writers actually have no desire to outlaw AI and are happy to use it “as part of the creative process” as long as it doesn’t affect their rewards. It looks like you are doing
The scenario “requires more discussion, and we are committed to doing it,” the studio said.
– “Guardrail” –
For Layla Cohan, 39, writer of the Netflix blockbuster “Bridgerton,” the only usefulness of AI for writers is limited to “busy tasks,” such as coming up with character names.
However, she predicted that studios would “start doing incredibly bad first drafts with AI, and then hire writers to rewrite them.”
“I think it’s certainly a very scary possibility … it’s very smart that we’re working on this now,” she said.
In fact, in the final Hollywood strike of 2007-2008, screenwriters won the right to be paid for watching shows and movies online.
At the time, Netflix had barely started watching online, and the likes of Disney and Apple TV were over a decade away.
Even science fiction writer Ben Ripley believes AI has no role in writing, but introducing legislation now to “put guardrails in place” is “extremely necessary”.
A writer “must be original,” he said. “Artificial intelligence is the antithesis of originality.”