The rapid development of artificial intelligence is presenting new challenges for writers of all kinds, leading screenwriters, authors and journalists to respond to the threat of AI.
While generative AI tools aren’t advanced enough to completely replace humans at this point, their unregulated use has the potential to negatively impact writers’ livelihoods.
Hollywood writers attack AI-generated content
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has been in a heated battle with Hollywood studios to use AI to generate content.
Writers felt they weren’t reaping the benefits of studies, and AI directly threatened their compensation and working conditions.
The WGA argued that AI should not be used to rewrite or generate literary material without compensating human writers. They wanted regulations to protect writers’ livelihoods as AI becomes more advanced.
However, the studios have resisted these demands, offering only to discuss technological changes through annual meetings.
executives appeared content to let the strike, which began in May, continue until the unions could no longer pay their bills.
The WGGB produces recommendations for AI developers
The Writers Guild of Great Britain conducted a survey where 65% of respondents said the increased use of AI would reduce their income and 61% were worried about being replaced.
In response, the union published recommendations for AI developers. In addition to only using a writer’s work with express permission, AI companies should maintain transparent training records, label AI content, credit authors, and establish independent regulation of AI.
The Guild argued that while AI is not yet sophisticated enough to match human creativity, it still presents risks such as diminishing opportunities and fair pay that need to be addressed through new regulations.
WGGB also noted to study from OpenAI that writers face more risk when it comes to advancing AI technology compared to other career paths.
Best-selling authors send an open letter to AI companies
The Authors Guild has also raised concerns about AI systems like ChatGPT being trained on books without permission or compensation.
As writers, we know the profound impact our work has had on the development of AI models. We ask AI leaders to stop using our works without our consent, compensation or credit.
Please join us in signing our open letter. pic.twitter.com/EigVsGRafn
— The Authors Guild (@AuthorsGuild) July 14, 2023
More than 9,000 authors, including best-selling authors such as Dan Brown, James Patterson, Magaret Atwood, Suzanne Collins and Michael Chabon, have signed an open letter to AI companies on how to fairly compensate writers for their contributions to AI training data.
In the letterthe Guild argued that the production of trained AI on copyrighted work is derivative and writers should pay royalties.
We understand that many of the books used to develop AI systems originated from notorious hacking websites. The recent decision of the Supreme Court in Warhol v. Not only does Goldsmith make it clear that the high commerciality of your use argues against fair use, but no court would excuse the copying of illegally sourced works as fair use.
The general fear is that cheap AI-generated books could flood the market, making it harder for human authors to make a living.
The introduction of AI threatens to tip the balance to make it even more difficult, if not impossible, for writers, especially young writers and voices from underrepresented communities, to make a living from their profession.
Journalists worried about AI ‘assistants’
Finally, Google launched news organizations like The New York Times and the Washington Post AI tools to help generate news drafts.
While it might save journalists time, it caused unrest to undermine the craft of quality journalism.
There were also concerns that AI could spread misinformation if not carefully edited. Newsgroups wanted to explore uses responsibly, but there were tensions around protecting the integrity of reporting.
Google offered a formal statement to address journalists’ concerns about its proposed AI technology.
The statement was not met with enthusiasm.
Big on the brand for communications to push a tool to replace writers with AI during the SAG-AFTRA strike #WGAStrong
when you come to comment, @GoogleAI communicators replied that they were too busy at the celebrity yoga class
— ellafann (@pwais) July 20, 2023
AI Disruption Potential
The emergence of AI raises complex questions about how to balance innovation and ethics.
While advances promise to transform industries, concerns about fair compensation and training practices remain.
With livelihoods at stake, writers across industries could face difficulty adapting, even those chronicling the rapid developments and advances in AI.
It is up to stakeholders on all sides to navigate a collaborative path. There are opportunities to improve society if the human values of fairness and attribution remain integral to the evolution of AI.
By joining forces, understanding different viewpoints, and mitigating risks, the writing community hopes to maintain its integral role while responsibly shaping the future.
Featured Image: KieferPix/Shutterstock
