Hollywood would be considering use artificial intelligence to generate movie scripts. A report of Above the Line details that for weeks, studios and streaming companies have been exploring the possibility of an AI like ChatGPT writing scripts based on books and works in the public domain. The idea of integrating this technology into the workflow comes at a difficult time in which the film and television writers’ union has started an indefinite strike.
Reliable sources reported to the outlet that almost all studios are considering using AI to write scripts. If approved, Hollywood would use applications like ChatGPT as an emergency measure to reduce the impact of the strike. Subsequently, the writers would rewrite the script to speed up the process.
This idea is rejected by the Writers Guild of America (WGA), who fight to regulate the use of AI to write film and television scripts. John August, a member of the WGA’s bargaining committee, made it clear that the scriptwriters have no intention of correcting the work of a machine.
Warren Leight, writer and executive producer of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, also disagrees with the idea of correcting AI-generated scripts. Leight exposed how this practice is a ploy by Hollywood to underpay writers.
A few days ago, the writers union approved the use of AI as a tool and confirmed that it had no intention of banning it. The WGA proposed that work done on ChatGPT and other tools will not be considered as literary material or source material. This protects the writer, since AI-generated scripts would not steal credit on a movie or affect his salary.
AI is a ‘plagiarism machine’, according to Hollywood screenwriters
Although the director of Avengers: Endgame and other industry personalities envision a future where AI will write interactive movies, the writers have a different opinion. Ellen Stutzman, WGA Chief Negotiator, said that some union members consider artificial intelligence as “plagiarism machines”.
The perception is similar to that of visual artists who sued generative AI companies for using copyrighted works. The writers believe that replicating this formula and training an artificial intelligence model with existing material would imply theft of intellectual property.
As part of the negotiation, The writers union asks to regulate the use of AI in all projects. “Artificial Intelligence cannot write or rewrite literary material, it cannot be used as source material, and existing scripts cannot be used to train an AI,” the statement read. the document detailing your proposals. The move was rejected by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which offers “annual meetings to discuss advances in technology.”
The future of AI-generated scripts isn’t far off. Hollywood is aware that millions of dollars would be saved if only they hired scriptwriters to rewrite the content generated by ChatGPT. This strategy is already being applied in many media outlets, affecting the work of editors and journalists.