Writers Strike Ends; AI Limitations Set in Place

After nearly five months of intense negotiations, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Hollywood studios have settled on a new agreement, effectively concluding the second longest writers’ strike in history that lasted for 146-days. 

The tentative agreement was first announced on Sept. 24 by both the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) for a new three-year contract, followed by reports late evening on Sept. 26 that a new contract was approved. 

The new contract, effective today (Sept. 27) through May 1, 2026, speaks to approximately 11,500 WGA members, and now allows writers to recommence work under revised terms, specifically addressing the role of AI in writers rooms.

This historic strike spotlighted the escalating concerns surrounding the role of AI in the film and TV industry, thanks to the prowess of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Underlying the new agreement, the WGA, while acknowledging the powerful innovations of ChatGPT, voiced apprehensions over Hollywood studios exploiting these rapidly evolving tools to sidestep union payments.

How AI Will Be Addressed Moving Forward

1. AI cannot be used to write or rewrite scripts or other literary material;
2. AI-generated material WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED SOURCE MATERIAL, protecting writers from being deprived of screen credits or other separated rights;
3. Writers CAN CHOOSE whether they want to use AI during the writing process, however, STUDIOS CANNOT FORCE writers to use AI tools, including ChatGPT, when performing writing services;
4. Studios MUST INFORM WRITERS if any materials given to them have been generated by AI or if any AI-generated material needs to be incorporated into the work; 

And arguably the most important of the five provisions is the WGA’s ability to preserve copyright protection with respect to AI training. 

5. WGA reserves the right to assert that any exploitation of writers’ material to train AI is prohibited by the agreement or other law. 

SAG-AFTA on the other hand…

While the WGA resolution certainly represents a crucial precedent for the entertainment industry moving forward, SAG-AFTRA remains on strike.

The actors union isn’t just concerned with AI’s potential exploitation of screenwriters, but how the gaming industry’s utilization of AI could dangerously impact the jobs of performers. Currently, SAG-AFTRA members are voting to authorize a strike against the gaming industry in fear of objectifying its talent:

“For many performers, their first job may be their last, as companies become increasingly eager to scan our members or train AI with their voices,” the SAG-AFTRA website reads. 

Editor’s note: This article was written by an nft now staff member in collaboration with OpenAI’s GPT-4.