Hollywood writers reach deal with studios to end strike. AI and robots can’t be writers

Members of the Writers Guild of America reached a deal with Hollywood studios to end a monthslong strike.

The end of the writers’ strike means late night and daytime talk shows will return.

However, the actors’ strike is still ongoing, meaning Hollywood movies can’t resume production until the actors’ strike is over.

The writers will have to vote on the deal, but the Writers Guild has declared the strike is over.

As part of the new deal, Artificial intelligence (AI) programs like ChatGPT can’t be used to write or rewrite scripts or any other content. Part of the reason they went on strike was because writers feared studios might attempt to replace them with AI.

“AI can’t write or rewrite literary material; can’t be used as source material; and MBA (minimum basic agreement) covered material can’t be used to train AI,” the WGA wrote in its original proposal.

But Hollywood studios flat out rejected the proposals.

In a counteroffer, Hollywood studios suggested “should a Company furnish a writer with written material produced by GAI [Generative Artificial Intelligence] which has not been previously published or exploited,” it would not affect the way a writer was credited or paid.

Eventually, all of the WGA’s original proposals were accepted by the studios.

The proposals include:

AI is not a writer. It can’t write or rewrite literary material and cannot be considered source material. If any of the materials initially given to a writer for a project were generated by AI, that has to be disclosed, and no use of AI will affect a writer’s credit or pay for a project.

Writers are allowed to use AI programs as long as they follow any company guidelines, but companies cannot require a writer to use any AI programs.

The WGA reserves the right to assert that MBA-covered material can’t be used to train AI.