In early 2023, when both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA were headed toward historic strikes, you would have asked any actor, writer, or musician what the biggest threat to their job was. They would have said fair streaming compensation. Ask them the same question now, as 2024 rolls around, and you will get one uniform answer: artificial intelligence.
AI shockwaves hit Hollywood: here's what you need to know
The first tremors rippled through the industry when authentic-sounding voice recordings produced by generative AI were used to create songs. Then came the earthquake in the form of OpenAI’s Sora, which creates hyper-realistic clips from just a few text prompts.
There’s understandable fear of these developments across the entertainment industry — and a self-protective urge to fight off the coming wave of AI. But by portraying AI as an existential threat and resolving to dismiss its role in the industry, Hollywood is setting itself up for failure and fighting the inevitable.
If the media and entertainment industries want to safeguard jobs, ensure fair compensation for workers, protect IP rights, and thrive alongside the coming waves of generative AI, they need to talk to regulators. The irony is that regulators don’t want to talk to doomsayers, but to those with tangible, constructive, and productive ideas about how AI can be deployed responsibly.
