The Writer’s Strike in the U.S. is still ongoing as the demands of the Writers Guild of America are still not being met. This is the biggest disruption to television since the pandemic, with tonnes of shows halted as writers take to the picket lines demanding for fairer pay, residual payments, and job security in the wake of AI. Many actors have joined with their support, with a prominent figure being Marvel’s mainstay Hulk actor, Mark Ruffalo.
The threats that are facing writers right now are not just limited to their profession. The growing wariness around the use of AI has many worried that their jobs could be replaced or significantly reduced thanks to the technology. For years we have been looking for a way to make certain work chores easier, but somehow we have created a tool that could potentially take over the job of artists, including writers and actors.
AI has become so good at mimicking that it isn’t always easy to know when a piece has been created by a human or by Artificial Intelligence. The same goes for illustrators, painters, and photographers, with AI slowly bleeding into these aspects of the arts as well. As for actors, Deep Fakes have become so good that we have come to a point where AI can recreate someone’s face, voice, and physicality so that the actor isn’t even needed. Their very image can be taken from them, and used without their permission.
It isn’t just AI that threatens those working in these professions, but with the rise of streaming, there has been a lowering of standards for writers and actors, without the proper measures in place to ensure they are compensated fairly for their work. Many actors have stood in solidarity with the Writer’s Strike, and now Ruffalo has called for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) members to stand with their fellow creatives and vote to also go on strike.
Heading over the the SAG website, they write,
“Our goal in this negotiation is to ensure our members working in film, television and streaming/new media can continue to earn a professional living with a contract that honors our contributions. We need a contract that will increase contributions to our benefit plans and protect members from erosion of income due to inflation and reduced residuals, unregulated use of generative AI, and demanding self-taped auditions.”
SAG members can cast their vote as to whether or not they want to go on strike by June 5th, just a few days before SAG enters into negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), something they do every three years to ensure that industry standards are fair and adaptive with the times.