WGA Takes Steps to Ban AI Generated Content

The Writer’s Guild of America may let Artificial Intelligence tools such as ChatGPT be used in scriptwriting as long as writers still get full credit for the resulting script. The WGA made the proposal this Monday, March 20, during a negotiation round with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Since the beginning of this week, the WGA has been trying to renegotiate the terms under which writers work for big studios, mainly represented by the AMPTP. Writers have been demanding better pay and working conditions for a while now, which explains why the WGA has been considering the possibility of a general strike that could freeze Hollywood until the matter is resolved. Before extreme measures are taken by writers nationwide, the WGA has agreed to sit down with the AMPTP and discuss the terms of the current contract between the two unions. Since the current WGA-AMPTP contract expires on May 1, the moment is ripe for crafting a new deal that might favor the hardworking writers who spin the Hollywood wheel. The last time the WGA got so close to a general strike was in 2017, but the union managed to avoid it with an 11th-hour deal.

One recent concern from writers in film and television is the emergence of AI tools capable of creating stories on their own. While AI technology is still limited and cannot develop anything more complex than rough drafts, these tools will only get better over time, which could give executives the power to get rid of human writers entirely. As expected, the WGA brought this concern to their meeting with the AMPTP. However, in a surprising move, the WGA proposes to accept AI writing under the condition that human writers still get full credit and pay.

According to the WGA proposal, AI-generated scripts couldn’t be considered “source material” or “literary material.” These are fundamental terms in any WGA agreement, as “literary material” encompasses anything a writer produces, including stories, treatments, screenplays, and dialogue. Likewise, “source material” refers to previously existing material, such as books and magazines, that can be adapted into screenplays. So, if artificial intelligence cannot produce either, studios still need a human writer to credit, regardless of how much the human writer polished the script created by an AI tool.

Is WGA’s AI Stance Good or Bad for the Industry?

It’s still too soon to tell what the WGA will get during this new round of negotiations with the AMPTP and how the new deal between the two unions will affect Hollywood in the near future. Even so, it’s no longer possible to ignore the existence of AI tools, which means the WGA should most definitely push for its strict regulation. Still, many writers expected the WGA would try to get an official ban on AI in scriptwriting instead of welcoming it as a supporting tool—there’s no lack of Hollywood productions that serve as cautionary tales about the widespread use of AI. That decision will most definitely be divisive.

On the one hand, by trying to remain flexible regarding AI tools, the WGA can throw a bone at the AMPTP that sweetens the deal and make it easier to renegotiate other pressing demands, such as proper compensation and increased contributions to Pension Plan and Health Fund. At the same time, the WGA’s official recognition of AI tools can send the wrong message about the importance of human writers, ultimately weakening the union. With luck, reality won’t be as terrifying as in all those AI movies and TV shows.

The post WGA Takes Steps to Ban AI Generated Content was originally published on Collider.