Rise of Humans Against Machines
James Cameron's 1989 film "Terminator" foresaw a future where machines would rise against humans. This narrative has been echoed in numerous films such as "The Matrix", "I, Robot", and "Westworld", depicting AI gaining consciousness and rebelling against humankind. But, ironically, with the development of AI, it's the filmmakers themselves who are the first to rebel 🤷♂️
📺 In 2023, Hollywood is witnessing major strikes from two key unions: screenwriters and actors. This has resulted in the biggest strike of the decade, causing significant disruptions in the production of movies and TV shows.
Several awaited films like Ridley Scott's "Gladiator 2", Tim Burton's "Beetlejuice 2", and Marvel films have halted production. The release of "Avatar", "Dune", and "The Lord of the Rings" has been delayed.
❔ Why are they protesting?
Screenwriters fear, not without reason, that neural networks will soon be able to write full-fledged scripts. Actors see a threat of being replaced by digital copies (hello, "Black Mirror", "Joan Is Awful" episode).
After 5 months of the screenwriters' strike, they reached an agreement in which studios must disclose whether the provided material was partially or entirely generated by AI. AI cannot be credited as a screenwriter or rewrite "literary material". Thus, the first regulatory documents have emerged to protect human authors' rights from AI.
The actors' strikes continue. Negotiations with major film companies and streaming platforms have been suspended, as producers decline to consider the unions' proposed new contract terms with the studios.
Actors are also protesting against companies involved in video games. AI in games is causing acute concern among voice actors. Potential points of tension may arise in other content-creation industries.
Zinaida Pronchenko, a film critic: "Artificial intelligence will eventually devour cinema. In this context, the main film of the year is "Mission Impossible", where the main character fights against AI".
