Back in May, just a week into the the Writers Guild of America's strike, John August, a member of the union's negotiating committee and writer of Charlie's Angels, described his personal dystopia: "the Nora Ephron problem"--a world in which artificial intelligence evolves to become a writer so profound it can mimic the style of a surefire hitmaker. The synthetic Nora Ephron may yet come to pass, but the deal struck this week between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) will go some way toward protecting writers against its impact. In short, the contract stipulates that AI can't be used to write or rewrite any scripts or treatments, ensures that studios will disclose if any material given to writers is AI-generated, and protects writers from having their scripts used to train AI without their say-so. Provisions in the contract also stipulate that script scribes can use AI for themselves. At a time when people in many professions fear that generative AI is coming for their jobs, the WGA's new contract has the potential to be precedent-setting, not just in Hollywood, where the actors' strike continues, but in industries across the US and the world.

The writers' walkout began on 2 May, which members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) joined on 13 July, making it the longest strike to affect Hollywood in decades. They were striking in a row over pay and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the industry.

The dispute has shut down many of America's top shows - popular TV series and late-night talk shows. As well as issues around pay, the writers fear the impact of artificial intelligence potentially supplanting their talents.

By now you've seen the scenes of young and middle-aged Americans wearing cargo shorts and Patagonia Baggies Brimmers in front of movie studios holding ironic picket signs, such as "Chat GPT doesn't have childhood trauma!" As the battle grinds into its 12th week, with no end in sight--and the actors' union now part of the strike too--it's easy to think that a fight between a bunch of "rich Hollywood writers" and the big studios and networks may mean nothing to you, but it's quite the opposite. This is the labor fight of our generation. While in the broader labor force, the share of union members has fallen from 34 percent in the 1950s to 10 percent today, Hollywood remains a devout union town. Except for reality TV and some indie films, the majority of all personnel involved in film and TV production are part of organized labor.

Veritone CEO Ryan Steelberg says the Writers Guild of America needs to make sure their writers are protected as AI becomes more popular. Nearly two weeks into the national writers' strike spearheaded by the Writers Guild of America (WGA), little progress has been made between both sides. The WGA has a litany of requests for the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Per its website, the WGA has specific proposals with regard to artificial intelligence, including the "regulation of AI on minimum basic agreement (MBA) -covered projects; 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." When it comes to these provisions that surround artificial intelligence, studios have put the kibosh on writers' requests, instead suggesting annual meetings to review evolving technology.