Could AI pen 'Casablanca'? Screenwriters take aim at ChatGPT
The rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is causing unease in Hollywood among screenwriters who are concerned about chatbots writing or rewriting scripts in the future. The Writers Guild of America has taken measures to strike for better pay in an industry where streaming has disrupted the old rules, but AI is becoming a rising anxiety. Concerns are being raised about AI chatbots, which could be used to produce a rough first draft with only a few simple prompts, and screenplays being generated in the style of known writers.
The WGA’s basic agreement defines a writer as a “person” and only a human’s work can be copyrighted. Nevertheless, regenerative AI could be used in endless ways to craft outlines, fill in scenes and mock up drafts. As a result, the guild is seeking more safeguards on how AI can be applied to screenwriting, and says the studios are stonewalling on the issue. The producers' alliance has offered to annually meet with the guild to go over definitions around the fast-evolving technology but more discussion is needed.
Experts say that screenwriters' struggle with regenerative AI is just the beginning, with the World Economic Forum predicting that nearly a quarter of all jobs will be disrupted by AI over the next five years. The Screen Actors Guild has said it is closely following the evolving legal landscape around AI. Writers have long been among the most exploited talents in Hollywood with their films being rewritten many times over. Now, they see a new, readily available and inexpensive competitor in AI - albeit one with a slightly less tenuous grasp of the human condition.
