The AI Takeover: Hollywood Studios Relying on High-priced AI Experts Amidst Writers & Actors Strike

Summary

Concerns among writers and actors persist as they fear the possibility of AI replacing real individuals in the production process. In fact, certain studios are going to the extent of wanting to capture and possess the likenesses of extras through scanning.

The hiring of AI experts by major Hollywood studios during the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes may further extend the duration of the strikes, as it signals that negotiations regarding AI regulations will be affected, suggesting a potentially long strike ahead. This move comes despite the fact that Hollywood writers and actors are currently on strike in order to advocate for the regulation of AI in the production of films and television shows. Notably, Netflix recently advertised a job listing for an AI product manager with a salary of $900,000, which demonstrates that studios are not relenting in their pursuit of incorporating AI in their operations.

What Hollywood's AI Job Listings Mean For The Writers & Actors Strikes

According to The Hollywood Reporter, additional Hollywood studios are now following Netflix's lead by enlisting the services of AI experts amidst the ongoing strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). Disney is said to be actively searching for individuals well-versed in AI and machine learning to join their team, while Sony is willing to offer an annual salary of up to $160,000 for an AI ethics engineer. In addition, both Amazon and Apple have numerous job listings for AI specialists, with one of Prime Video's positions advertising a base salary of $300,000 per year.

Production for numerous major movies and TV shows, including Deadpool 3, Gladiator 2, Stranger Things, and The Last of Us, has been brought to a halt due to the ongoing strikes initiated by writers and actors. The duration of these strikes remains uncertain, with author George R.R. Martin foreseeing an extensive writers strike comparable to the 153-day strike in 1988. In addition to AI regulations, writers and actors are advocating for higher remuneration and streaming residuals, potentially prolonging the duration of the strikes.

Hollywood studios are currently hiring AI experts, indicating that companies like Netflix and Disney are committed to using AI in their future productions. While AI can be useful for tasks like script formatting and post-production fixes, critics argue that studios are using AI as a means to replace real actors and writers. There have also been reports of studios wanting to scan and own the likenesses of extras, paying them for a single day of work and using their faces in any future project indefinitely.

The public search for AI experts by Hollywood studios will undoubtedly impact negotiations between writers and actors regarding AI regulations. These job listings suggest that a prolonged strike in Hollywood may be on the horizon as studios endeavor to incorporate AI into their future projects. Given the apparent inevitability of AI in the industry, it appears that the strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA will endure for quite some time.

Source: THR