The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has ended the ongoing writers’ strike in the film industry after 148 days. The WGA reached an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the organization representing major studios. One of the concessions gained by the writers is the implementation of “strong limitations on A.I.” in the industry. These limitations include prohibiting AI from writing or rewriting literary material and ensuring that AI-generated material does not undermine a writer’s credit or separated rights.
According to the new agreement, writers can choose to use AI when performing writing services, provided that the company consents and the writer follows applicable company policies. However, companies are not allowed to require writers to use AI software. The WGA reserves the right to assert that the exploitation of writers’ material to train AI is prohibited by the agreement or other laws. The new regulations appear to allow for the use of AI in screenwriting under the guidance and control of human writers.
While the writers’ strike has come to an end, the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) is still negotiating its own strike with the studios. It remains to be seen whether SAG-AFTRA will establish similar principles around AI and 3D scanning. VentureBeat has published an in-depth report on the history and future of AI in Hollywood, highlighting the ongoing battle over AI and 3D scanning between the industry and unions.
