Justine Bateman, a renowned actress and computer scientist, sensitized the public to the danger of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry with a tweet thread recently. She noted this could be the last chance the labor unions have to protect their position before the use of computer technology totally disrupts the market. Her words were taken seriously, especially since she has a degree in digital media management from UCLA and knows how quickly the technology can advance.

OpenAI released a ChatGTP in Nov. of last year and attempts have been made to make A.I. more accessible and easier to use. This has many people concerned about the potential for A.I. to overrun a multitude of jobs—including writing. This fear is not unfounded and The Writer's Guild of America (WGA), knowing the danger, proposed a plan in their negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) that blocked the use of A.I. to create and rewrite any literary material. The AMPTP declined the request and this has left many in the entertainment industry on edge.

Justine Bateman took this concern a step further, noting the potential of A.I. software to use an actor’s likeness and/or voice and create copycat “projects” or “shows”. She put forth that if actors do not fight now to protect themselves, they won’t have the power or means to protect themselves in the future. She referenced examples of computer-generated images, trained on actors' likenesses and voices that can be used to be “tripled or quadrupled booked”.

The WGA strike, in its third week, is highlighting the present day urgency to protect the livelihood of actors and writers in the entertainment industry. With the advancement of technology, it is important to recognize and take action steps to protect this industry before it is overrun by computerized images, performances, and writing. Actors can take steps now and demand ironclad protection against the use of their image and voice to protect their livelihood. Without this protection, A.I. may soon replace humans in the entertainment industry.



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