Negotiations have resumed between studios and striking writers, with concessions reportedly coming in the use of AI.
Writers in the US have been on strike now beyond 100 days. That takes the action of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) past the duration of the 2007-8 strike that has been estimated to have cost the Los Angeles economy somewhere between $1-2bn. As you’ll no doubt be aware, the actors are now striking this time around, meaning that the ongoing economic damage is projected to be much higher this time around.
Still, there’s light at the end of the tunnel, even if it is just a sliver. After months of refusing to negotiate, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have finally come back to the bargaining table and reopened negotiations with the WGA.
Whilst nobody outside of that room knows exactly what’s happening, reports have emerged that the studios have made an offer to the WGA which involves some kind of concessions on the use of AI. If you recall, during the original negotiations the WGA were seeking to label anything produced by AI as ‘non-literary material’, meaning AI could not receive writing credit in any capacity.
During the original negotiations, the AMPTP were reported to have refused all discussions over AI but now it seems, have made some ind of counter-proposal. The report also suggests that no concessions have been offered in the other key areas in which the WGA have made demands, the ending of mini-writers rooms and improved residuals and data transparency from streaming platforms.
The WGA isn’t going to have all of its demands met by the studios and it knows that, of course. The strategy lies in knowing which demands will prove to be the ones that benefit writers over the coming years. We’ll bring you more on this story as it unfolds.
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