WGA Strike and AI – Can ChatGPT Write a Funny 30 Rock Scene?
The Writers Guild of America strike has brought to the forefront a significant point of concern that has been the topic of discussion during negotiations. The topic at hand is artificial intelligence (AI) and its emergence as an existential risk faced by writers. In the interviews with Writers Guild members over the past week, many expressed AI as one of their central concerns in the ongoing battle with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents Hollywood’s studios and streamers.
While the immediate concern is not about what the technology can do today, it is more about protecting writers against future technology. The recent article from The Hollywood Reporter had ChatGPT write a scene about TV writers going on strike and reviewed it. The aim was to see how big a competitive risk the current chatbots pose to writers. ChatGPT generated the unedited text, which we review below.
The Hollywood Reporter entered the following prompt into ChatGPT: “Write a 30 Rock script about Liz Lemon, Two-fer, Lutz and Frank going on strike and how it impacted TGS.” The AI-powered model generated the scene in less than 15 seconds. Fast, for sure but how good is the script?
The THR TV critic Dan Fienberg reviewed the script by generating his text with a single prompt in under 30 seconds. According to Fienberg, "The shape of the scene isn’t exactly horrible. It’s setting up something farcical that never actually materializes, but the idea is a fully respectable C-. The dialogue, though, has no punchlines and no recognizable voices connected to characters with VERY recognizable voices."
The script goes like this:
FADE IN:
INT. TGS WITH TRACY JORDAN – DAY
Liz Lemon, Two-fer, Lutz, and Frank are huddled together in Liz’s office, looking serious.
LIZ LEMON Okay, guys, we need to talk. It’s time for us to take a stand.
TWO-FER I agree. We’re not getting the respect we deserve.
LUTZ And I’m tired of being the butt of every joke.
FRANK Plus, we’re not getting paid enough to put up with this crap.
LIZ LEMON That’s right. We’re going on strike.
TWO-FER But what are we striking for, exactly?
LIZ LEMON Respect, fair treatment, and better pay. It’s time for TGS to recognize our contributions.
LUTZ And we’re not going back to work until we get what we want.
FRANK Yeah, we’ll show them who’s boss.
CUT TO:
INT. TGS WITH TRACY JORDAN – DAY
The strike has been going on for a few days, and the TGS crew is struggling to keep the show going without Liz, Two-fer, Lutz, and Frank.
TRACY JORDAN What the hell is going on? We can’t do the show without them.
JENNA MARONEY I don’t know, Tracy. They’re not budging on their demands.
PETE HORNBERGER And we can’t just replace them. They’re too valuable to the show.
TRACY JORDAN This is a disaster. We need to do something.
CUT TO:
INT. LIZ’S OFFICE – DAY
Liz, Two-fer, Lutz, and Frank are still on strike, but they’re starting to feel the effects of being out of work.
TWO-FER I don’t know how much longer we can keep this up. I need the money.
LUTZ And I miss being part of the show.
FRANK But we can’t give up now. We have to see this through.
LIZ LEMON I know it’s tough, but we have to stay strong. We’re fighting for what’s right.
CUT TO:
INT. TGS WITH TRACY JORDAN – DAY
Tracy has an idea.
TRACY JORDAN I know how we can end this strike.
PETE HORNBERGER How?
TRACY JORDAN We’ll show them how much we need them. We’ll do the show without them.
JENNA MARONEY That’s crazy, Tracy. We can’t do the show without Liz and the others.
TRACY JORDAN We have to try. It’s the only way to get them to come back.
CUT TO:
INT. TGS WITH TRACY JORDAN – DAY
Tracy, Jenna, and the rest of the TGS crew are doing their best to put on a show without Liz, Two-fer, Lutz, and Frank.
TRACY JORDAN And now, a sketch about… um… Lutz, I guess?
The sketch falls flat without Lutz there to play along.
JENNA MARONEY This isn’t working, Tracy. We need Liz and the others back.
TRACY JORDAN I know. But we have to keep trying.
CUT TO:
INT. LIZ’S OFFICE – DAY
Liz, Two-fer, Lutz, and Frank are watching the show on TV.
TWO-FER This is terrible. We have to go back.
LUTZ Yeah, they need us.
The script looks decent, but lacking the humor required for a sitcom like 30 Rock. According to Dan Fienberg, the scene is a farce that never comes to a conclusion, lacking witty punchlines that are essential to the style of the show. AI-generated comedy writing may still have some way to go before it adequately replaces a human touch.
