After almost five months, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) reached an agreement with Hollywood studios to end the writers’ strike. From Wednesday, writers will be able to return to work under the conditions set by their new contract.
During the historic strike, AI emerged as a key point of contention between writers and studios. Although text-based generative AI tools like ChatGPT are very limited in terms of creativity in the current state, the authors fear that studios will still try to take advantage of these rapidly developing tools to avoid paying members unions.
“I’m not worried about technology,” comedian Adam Conover told TechCrunch at the start of the strike. “I worry that companies are using technology, which is actually not very good, to harm our working conditions.”
Along with better residual payments, minimum staffing for writers’ rooms and other terms that help writers make a living, the new WGA contract outlines limits on how AI can be used in rooms of screenwriters.
According to the agreement, AI cannot be used to write or rewrite scripts, and AI-generated writing cannot be considered source material, preventing writers from losing credits. writing because of AI.
On an individual level, writers can choose to use AI tools if they wish. However, a company cannot force screenwriters to use certain AI tools when working on a production. Studios must also tell writers if they are receiving AI-generated material to incorporate into a work.
As the WGA contract summary states, “The WGA reserves the right to assert that exploitation of Writers’ Materials to train AI is prohibited by (the Contract) or other law.” »
Currently, the legal relationship between major language models and copyrighted material is murky. But where federal and state laws lag, the WGA’s bargaining agreement makes clear that union members do not consent to their labor being used to train studio AIs.
The SAG-AFTRA actors union remains on strike, and on Monday its members voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike against the video game industry as well. While negotiating on behalf of stunt, motion capture and voice acting actors in video games, SAG-AFTRA also expressed concerns about how AI could be used to undermine the creative work of members of the union.
“For many artists, their first job could be their last, as companies are increasingly eager to scan our members or train AI with their voices as soon as they show up for work,” it reads on the SAG-AFTRA website.
It remains to be seen how the SAG-AFTRA member contract will play out, but the WGA agreement sets a precedent in establishing limits on how AI can be used in creative professions.
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