Movies

Hollywood writers say AI is ripping off their work. They want studios to sue

BBG News

In 2023, when the Writers Guild of America ratified an agreement with leading movie studios, marking the end of a 148-day strike, it became the pioneer union to establish substantial safety nets concerning artificial intelligence within the Hollywood industry.

However, with the ongoing progress in AI technology, authors are advocating for increased legal safeguards from production houses. They are now encouraging these entities to take legal steps against AI companies accused of exploiting authors’ works, specifically using them to train AI systems without proper authorization.

John Rogers, a screenwriter based in Los Angeles who is now 58 years old, has been instrumental in developing the universe of the TV drama series “Leverage.” After tinkering with ChatGPT, Rogers and the show’s creative team grew concerned that approximately 77 episodes, which equates to five years of work, might have been unlawfully duplicated and employed to power AI technology.

In 2023, when generative AI became popular in the business world, Rogers asked ChatGPT for an idea for a “Leverage” episode plot. This series follows a contemporary Robin Hood tale about a reformed insurance investigator who teams up with a group of criminals to rob unethical wealthy individuals, making amends for those they’ve wronged.

On its own initiative, without any nudges from me regarding specific character names, ChatGPT proposed an intriguing plot concept: toppling a corrupt CEO, leveraging characters straight from the TV series. I found this quite impressive.

Later on, he discovered that scripts for “Leverage,” as well as other productions Rogers worked on like the 2007 “Transformers” movie and TNT’s “The Librarians,” were part of a database utilized in teaching AI models. This data set obtained its subtitles from OpenSubtitles.org, a platform offering subtitles for movies and TV shows across various languages, as detailed in an article published in November by The Atlantic.

Rogers expressed his frustration with the unbridled arrogance displayed by these corporations, stating, “These companies have amassed a fortune worth hundreds of billions, wealth that wouldn’t be possible without our contributions.

In December, a letter was dispatched by the guild to the heads of significant film companies like Netflix, Amazon Studios, MGM, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Paramount Global, NBCUniversal, Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros. Discovery. When The Times contacted these studios about the guild’s correspondence, they either declined to comment or did not respond.

To date, none of the prominent film studios have brought legal action against any large AI companies, although writers have voiced their concerns. While there’s no public news regarding content licensing agreements with these AI firms, it’s been reported that some major studios have engaged in talks about technology with AI corporations. This has sparked anxiety among Hollywood professionals that more of their jobs might be replaced by automation to cut costs.

Meredith Stiehm, WGA West president, stated in an interview that since the studios own the copyrights for our content being unlawfully used, they have a solid basis for taking legal action. She added that the studios have been remiss in not addressing the copyright infringement by AI companies, and their continued inaction can be seen as a surrender of sorts, remaining on the sidelines instead of actively protesting.

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With the continuous development of artificial intelligence, it’s anticipated that there will be an increase in partnerships among tech firms, production studios, and creative talents. However, significant hurdles persist.

The strains arise due to the approaching expiration of the agreement between the guild and the Motion Picture and Television Producers Alliance in May 2026. Regarding the upcoming talks, intellectual property rights and artificial intelligence are likely to be a key focus, according to David Smith, an economics professor at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.

Smith stated that the letter from the WGA emphasizes that this matter will be pivotal and critical in shaping the course of the discussions ahead.

A variety of authors, such as Rogers, Stiehm, Veena Sud (the creator of “The Killing”), and Shonda Rhimes (co-creator of “Grey’s Anatomy”), were included in a database compiled by The Atlantic. This database was designed to demonstrate the subtitles utilized for training AI models from corporations like Facebook owner Meta and Anthropic.

If you want to use a worker’s work, you should pay them for it. It’s just common sense.

In simpler terms, tech companies argue they can educate their artificial intelligence systems using content found online, as long as it falls under the “fair use” principle, a rule that permits copying a work without needing express approval from its copyright owner, provided the usage is limited and for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research.

Meta asserts that they uphold the rules regarding intellectual property, and they consider their method of using data for training AI aligns with current legal standards,” (Meta stated).

Anthropic did not return a request for comment.

In our approach to constructing AI models, we utilize openly accessible data, guided by the principles of fair use and related concepts, backed by established legal precedents over many years. According to our statement, this practice is considered equitable towards creators, indispensable for innovation, and essential for maintaining our nation’s competitive edge.

The challenge lies in determining the definition of “publicly accessible” information and the methods by which this data can be accessed by artificial intelligence systems.

If an author transfers their creative content to a production company, the rights to that intellectual property pass to the studio. According to Lisa Callif, a partner at the Los Angeles-based law firm Donaldson Callif Perez, it’s her opinion that studios could potentially take legal action against AI companies in such cases.

As a film critic, I find myself grappling with an intriguing dilemma: the question of whether production studios will endorse the protection of creative works that AI platforms generate. Given their financial stake in the development and utility of such AI tools, it’s understandable why they might be invested in this issue.

In this existing WGA-AMPTP deal, provisions are included to guarantee human authorship of all scripts. Writers should be informed if their tasks involve research or property related to AI, and they retain the choice whether or not to utilize AI in their tasks. However, the contract does not stipulate any guidelines regarding remuneration when a writer’s work is employed for training AI models.

In simpler terms, Stiehm expressed that not all our desired outcomes were achieved during the training process. Consequently, he strongly advocates for the studios to address the issue of unauthorized use or copying of our content.

The AMPTP declined to comment for this story.

Certain studios are collaborating with artificial intelligence firms in their quest to reduce expenses. For instance, the studio behind “The Hunger Games,” Lionsgate, has teamed up with Runway, an AI company based in New York, to establish a novel system that assists Lionsgate in streamlining backstage operations like storyboarding.

Companies such as Amazon (responsible for Prime Video and MGM Studios) and Google, who oversee YouTube, have collectively poured billions into the investment of Anthropic. Last year, YouTube introduced a tool for content producers to stimulate creative thinking.

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Under the terms of the WGA’s new contract, AI is here to stay — with limits.

Companies want to use artificial intelligence but are also wary about upsetting Hollywood talent.

OpenAI has been in preliminary conversations with various studios regarding potential applications of its video creation tool, Sora, it was revealed by an anonymous OpenAI partnership lead. So far, Sora has been employed to produce music videos, advertisements, and short films. It’s important to note that these discussions do not pertain to the licensing of entire content libraries, according to this source.

According to unnamed sources close to the situation, OpenAI has reportedly held discussions with Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney. These individuals are not allowed to discuss these matters publicly.

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A peek backstage during the grand event of a movie gala, hosted in the vibrant city of San Francisco, showcasing films crafted using artificial intelligence technology.

Opting for a lawsuit against the AI titans might prove costly and lengthy. The legal terrain is complex due to varying regulations across nations regarding copyright owners, creating a difficult landscape to navigate.

Regardless, AI firms find themselves entangled in numerous copyright disputes with publishing houses like The New York Times, along with music conglomerates such as Universal Music Group.

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Various media platforms currently struggle with decreasing income from online advertisements and subscriptions. However, their existing business structures may face further disruption due to advancements in Artificial Intelligence.

Pending court decisions could influence what other entertainment firms decide to do next, according to experts.

As a passionate movie enthusiast, I can’t help but feel the ripples of this significant change in our beloved industry. From the perspective of a media lawyer at Feig/Finkel, Kailin Che expressed similar sentiments, suggesting that we all eagerly anticipate the outcome of these developments.

On Tuesday, a court decision sided with Thomson Reuters in their dispute with the artificial intelligence company Ross Intelligence, who were alleged to have copied content from Thomson’s research service Westlaw. According to reports, the judge declined Ross’ potential arguments, such as “fair use.

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As your trusted movie critic, I’m excited to share that William Morris Endeavor (WME) has teamed up with the innovative AI and image recognition company, Loti, based in Seattle. This partnership aims to safeguard digital images belonging to WME clients from unauthorized use, including deepfakes. Essentially, we are taking proactive steps to protect the authenticity of our visual content, ensuring a more genuine and honest cinematic experience for all.

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On Monday, OpenAI announced that they plan to make their contentious text-to-video generation tool available to the general public, offering various subscription plans.

John Lopez, a 44-year-old author who’s contributed to drama shows such as “The Terminal List” and “Strange Angel,” expressed concerns about new writers facing more difficulties entering the industry. He noted that advancing technology may also diminish the value of screenwriting craft and artistry.

Rogers stated that what had been created through blood, effort, sweat, time, and affection was reduced to mere worth for them.”

“Rogers expressed that what they put in with their own blood, sweat, tears, labor, and love was devalued by others.

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2025-02-12 22:04

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