Could AI pen 'Casablanca'? Screenwriters take aim at ChatGPT
AI is causing widespread anxiety throughout Hollywood, particularly for TV and film screenwriters. The Writers Guild of America is currently on strike for better pay, but AI is also a pressing concern. Screenwriters fear that AI chatbots could be used to write or rewrite scripts, with writers being hired to punch up the text at a lower pay rate. Screenplays could be generated in the style of well-known writers. Despite the WGA’s basic agreement defining a writer as a “person”, AI could be used to craft outlines and fill-in scenes.
The guild is seeking more safeguards on how AI can be applied to screenwriting, with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers offering to annually meet with the guild to discuss the definitions around the technology. The struggle screenwriters are facing highlights the impact of AI on the workforce. According to the World Economic Forum, nearly a quarter of all jobs will be disrupted by AI in the next five years.
AI has already filtered into nearly every part of moviemaking. It has been used to de-age actors, remove swear words from scenes in post-production, supply viewing recommendations on Netflix, and posthumously bring back the voices of Anthony Bourdain and Andy Warhol. As a result, the Screen Actors Guild is following the evolving legal landscape around AI. The implications for screenwriting are only just being explored.
Screenwriters have always been an exploited talent in Hollywood, but the rise of AI chatbots presents a new, readily available, and inexpensive competitor in the industry. Man vs. machine is becoming an increasingly pressing issue, as AI products are quickly being thrust into society. The writers are wrestling with the threats of AI, as concern over how AI will affect the entertainment industry widens.
