‘Modern problems require modern solutions’: Studios Reportedly Planning to Use AI to Write Scripts Until Writers’ Strike Ends
Just like the strike that happened back in 2007 concerning the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA), this year is seeing the same occurrence. On May 2, the WGA started their strike as the new contract deals after three years has not been reached by the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers). The main talk surrounding the newer key changes including minimum staffing numbers of writers for a show/movie has not been accepted by the AMPTP. This has inevitably led to many of the WGA writers halting their works. However, in between this, there have been talks of studios using AI to continue their shows at least till the strike ends. This is undoubtedly a disruptive technology which is also a key point in the WGA’s new deals concerning writer’s employment safety and such.
Studios are Reportedly Opting for AI Until The Writer’s Strike Ends
Amid the writer’s (WGA) strike which started on the 2nd of May this year, studios and streaming services facing a lack of writers for their many shows. In such cases, many shows and movies that do not already have all their future episodes and stories scripted are forced to halt their project for an interminable period.
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And since there is no guarantee of how long the strike may last (the 2007 strike lasted 100 days), studio producers do or have much choice but to opt for what’s available.
These days with the rise in AI technology, the studios with their writers gone reportedly have options for AI to do the work till then. This report has people expressing mixed reactions on Twitter, with one writing,
Well I want to boycott those movies in particular. Solidarity to the writers on strike. ✊🏿
— SLEEZE BLACK HOODIE™️ (@SleezeStreams) May 4, 2023
Absolutely the right attitude, the main part of what makes movies great, whether they’re good or not, is that it came out of the mind of a human.
— Jimothy 🇵🇸 (@Jimothy_Jimothy) May 5, 2023
Hollywood is so cooked if this keeps happening bro. Screenwriters are gonna lose their jobs and just become touch up writers cleaning up what the AI does? I'm sick.
— RJ (@ResonantJustice) May 4, 2023
AI writing is plagiarism to me 🤷🏻♂️ and it’s killing the writing industry all around. Freelance writing is becoming obsolete.
— Isaac Goodwin (@itsisaacgoodwin) May 4, 2023
https://twitter.com/slimschnase/status/1654223966062403585?t=BMqGOLdflhxbBwcnb7Mpkw&s=19
Both the WGA and some Studio producers (eg. Joe Russo) believe AI to be a technology to be embraced as a helping tool for human writers. However many people do not like the idea of studios opting for AI for scripting their shows/movies amid the strike.
A Brief Look at The Recent Writer’s Strike
For those who may not have an idea, The Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) renews their contract with the AMPTP every three years. The AMPTP represents almost all the big film studios like Universal, Paramount, Warner Bros, etc. And apart from this the body also presents many streaming services and broadcasting networks.
This year WGA made some key changes to how a writer’s employment works. But it turns out the AMPTP has not agreed to come to a full agreement with the negotiating deals put forward by the WGA members.
Although the minimum wage has been raised by 4% given the demand for the raise, the AMPTP did not find common ground with WGA on the “minimum staffing” number of writers on set. While the former sees it as a “creatively unnecessary” point, for the WGA it is something that is required. Since raising the minimum wage does not ensure employment. Therefore the writers want assurance of getting work to start with.
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Source: Twitter