The people who write the scripts for the shows others watch have stopped working, and it appears artificial intelligence (AI) has played a role in their decision.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced a unanimous agreement to strike at midnight, May 2 after what it called “insufficient” responses from Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
The WGA had been in negotiations for six weeks with the AMPTP, consisting of Netflix (NFLX), Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Disney (DIS), Discovery-Warner (WBD), NBC Universal (CMCSA), Paramount (PARA) and Sony (SNEJF) .
“The companies' behavior has created a gig economy inside a union workforce, and their immovable stance in this negotiation has betrayed a commitment to further devaluing the profession of writing,” the WGA said in a statement. “From their refusal to guarantee any level of weekly employment in episodic television, to the creation of a ‘day rate’ in comedy variety, to their stonewalling on free work for screenwriters and on AI for all writers, they have closed the door on their labor force and opened the door to writing as an entirely freelance profession.”
While part of the strike is looking for concessions related to the transition to streaming, where a show could be rewatched millions of times without its writers earning additional compensation, another component looks to curtail the rising threat of AI.
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“AI can’t write or rewrite literary material; can’t be used as source material; and MBA-covered material can’t be used to train AI,” one of the WGA's proposals reads, according to a document the WGA released.
This proposal was rejected by studios, with a counter-proposal offering to provide writers with annual meetings on new technology.
Production across Hollywood will likely grind to a halt for the duration of the strike, with nightly talk shows including The Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live reverting to re-runs.
“I wouldn’t have a show if it wasn’t for my writers,” Jimmy Fallon said, “I support them all the way.”
