Maybe the Hollywood writers’ strike is what the industry needs to value originality and stop exploiting the human brain to grow AIs. The Hollywood writers’ strike has entered its 100th day. The drag on is mainly because the the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and major studios haven’t been able to come to a conclusion.
The events leading up to the strike include residual payments in the streaming era, and concerns about artificial intelligence potentially replacing creative input and finally exploded into a fully blown strike on May 2nd. The effect of this strike is massive and evident in declining TV revenues, struggling streaming businesses, and an uncertain movie box office post-COVID-19.
This ongoing strike influenced the decision of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) as they also opted for a strike on July 14. This would be the first time since 1960 that both Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and Writers Guild of America (WGA) will be on strike simultaneously.
Despite a recent meeting between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and Writers Guild of America (WGA), it was futile. However, WGA has expressed its willingness to resume talks in good faith.
The strike has proven to be the outlet most writers needed as they have also made use of the opportunity to criticize media executives’ compensation. The major issue is the concerns about AI technology’s impact on job security and residual payments from streaming services. The AI technology impact became a major concern when Disney announced that they will now be using an AI-focused task force.
Solidarity among striking writers has been strong, fueled by a determination to achieve their demands despite facing heat and challenges. The strike’s historical context is marked by previous actions that aimed to ensure fair compensation in light of changing distribution methods.
Hopefully, the Hollywood writers and studios come to an understanding and settlement. In all, at Xplorenollywood, we believe that the ongoing strike’s outcome could significantly shape the future dynamics of the Hollywood industry.
