Nearly five months later, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) took over He reached an agreement With Hollywood studios to end the writers’ strike. Starting Wednesday, writers will be able to resume work under the terms set by their new contract.
During the historic strike, artificial intelligence emerged as a major point of contention between writers and studios. Although text-based generative AI tools like ChatGPT are severely limited in terms of creativity right now, the writers worry that studios will still try to take advantage of these rapidly evolving tools to avoid paying union members.
“I’m not worried about technology,” comedy writer Adam Conover told TechCrunch at the start of the strike. “I’m concerned about companies using technology, which is actually not very good, to undermine our working conditions.”
Along with improved residual payments, minimum staffing in writers’ rooms, and other terms that help screenwriters earn a living, the new WGA contract sets limits on how AI can be used in writers’ rooms.
Under the agreement, AI cannot be used to write or rewrite texts, and AI-generated writing cannot be considered source material, preventing writers from losing writing credits due to AI.
On an individual level, writers can choose to use AI tools if they wish. However, the company cannot require writers to use certain AI tools while working on the production. Studios must also inform writers if they are given any AI-generated material to incorporate into the work.
Like WGA summary “The WGA reserves the right to assert that exploitation of the book’s materials for training artificial intelligence is prohibited,” the contract states [the contract] Or any other law.”
Currently, the legal relationship between large language models and copyrighted materials is ambiguous. But where federal and state law lags behind, the WGA’s bargaining agreement makes clear that union members do not agree to their labor being used to train artificial intelligence at studios.
The actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, is still on strike, and on Monday, its members voted overwhelmingly to allow a strike against the video game industry as well. While bargaining on behalf of stunt actors, motion capture actors and voice actors in video games, SAG-AFTRA also expressed concerns about how artificial intelligence can be used to undermine the creative work of union members.
“For many performers, their first job may be their last, as companies become increasingly eager to screen our members or train AI with their voices as soon as they show up for work,” SAG-AFTRA said. website.
How the contract with SAG-AFTRA members will be implemented has not yet been determined, but the WGA agreement sets a precedent for setting limits on how AI can be used in creative professions.