After five months of picketing, the Writer’s Guild strike has ended with a provisional agreement for new conditions that includes negotiations over AI usage.
Leaders of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have authorized a tentative agreement with Hollywood entertainment studios that includes using artificial intelligence (AI) within the industry.
According to Deadline, the strike, which began on May 2, 2023, was declared over at 12:01 a.m. PT on Wednesday, September 27, 2023.
In addition to higher wages and more equitable contracts, one of the main arguments of the WGA concerned AI practices and implementation.
In August, Hollywood studios sent a proposal for AI utilization to the striking writers and actors, but it was insufficient for either guild.
The official provisional agreement with the WGA stipulated the following:
“AI can’t write or rewrite literary material, and AI-generated material will not be considered source material.”
According to Deadline, AI-generated content cannot be used to “undermine” a writer’s credit. The agreement also stipulates:
“A writer can choose to use AI when performing writing services if the company consents and provided that the writer follows applicable company policies, but the company can’t require the writer to use AI software (e.g. ChatGPT) when performing writing services.
Ellen Stutzman, one of the WGA’s directors, stated that studios “refused to negotiate” artificial intelligence terms before the strike.
Additionally, companies must be transparent when AI-generated content is given to writers or incorporated into a project.
The WGA states it “reserves the right to assert that exploitation of writers’ material to train AI is prohibited by MBA or other law.”
The most recent agreements affect the WGA, one of the two entertainment unions that were on strike.
The other industrial union is SAG-AFTRA, representing actors and other “media professionals.”
This union joined the WGA on July 14, 2023, and is still on strike at present.
AI is one of the primary elements that SAG-AFTRA is also combating.
The studios’ AI proposal included scanning of peripheral actors for which they would receive only one day’s pay.
Subsequently, they would grant companies complete ownership over the scan, their image, and likeness.
