Effects of writers strike on Sci Fi & Fantasy genre

[Clint_L]

Yeah, as someone trained in academic philosophy, the capabilities of LLM have actually reinforced the uniqueness of human rationality, not challenged it in any way.

Trying to talk the chatbot into actually reaching valid logical conclusions about anything show it's limitations really quick.

I suggest that you look into some of the recent experimental research being done with LLM AIs and novel problem solving. They are not simply parroting, as most of us, including me, initially characterized them. They are running into limitations and evolving their own solutions by repurposing their design in completely unexpected, unprogrammed ways. As in the example above.

Evidence now suggests that they are, in fact, creating their own reality models in order to solve tasks that would seem to be beyond their designed parameters.

As for the uniqueness of human rationality...eh. What does "uniqueness" really mean? Every human mind is a unique thing in the universe, sure, and some of the processes that lead to human problem solving may be fairly exclusive to human brains. But that doesn't mean that these are the only ways to achieve the same, or a similar outcome. LLM AI is demonstrably able to achieve outcomes that were until very recently thought to be uniquely human, including writing scripts and screenplays that are or will soon be competitive with most human products.

This is not as high a bar as once thought. Which, if you've read a typical sitcom script, is probably not a total shocker. Either way, as long as we have Jenna Ortega to step in and make some fixes, the finished product will be alright.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Either way, as long as we have Jenna Ortega to step in and make some fixes, the finished product will be alright.

When it comes to their character, every actor should have the right to fix a screw-up by the writers. She did nothing wrong in that. Her problem was that she communicated it poorly.

 

[bloodtide]

The thing is, I think that's what most of human writing is, and that's what generative AI has exposed. A lot of the stuff that we thought was special...not so much. And that's why it's a huge threat to human writers.

Well, few show owners, go to a writer and say "wow, we need your best most amazing content to make out show the best ever". It's a lot more, "Zzzzzz...oh yea writer? We need a show written...ZZZzzzz". They don't care about things like "quality". Really they only care about cost...."Wow the whole show takes place in one set? Yes!"

 

[Ryujin]

Posted by a writer/director friend.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The thing is, I think that's what most of human writing is, and that's what generative AI has exposed. A lot of the stuff that we thought was special...not so much. And that's why it's a huge threat to human writers.

But...going on strike to prevent it is the same as going on strike to prevent the car company from purchasing robots to take over a bunch of factory jobs. You might even win. But then someone builds the automated factory somewhere else, and your whole factory shuts down or moves.

I think that's what we are looking at here - an existential threat to most people who write for a living. The truly creative elite will survive, but those doing the grunt work are going to have to find something new. I might reach retirement before it eats my job; we'll see.

I don't think a strike is going to change where this is going, is what I'm saying.

"People who write for a living" is a very big category. I think AI will impact all of them, but it will likely be in very different ways.

People whose writing is cookie cutter legal documents are already losing their livelihoods.

People who record oral histories from indigenous communities around the world, preserving their language and story before older generations die? If AI can handle that, it's a long way off, given that the AI would need to get out to these (often elderly) people where they are and walk them through an interview process, both reacting to things they say but also keeping them on track with the questions that need to be checked off.

I suspect screenwriters are probably a lot closer to the oral history folks than they are to the legal document mills, in terms of how much hands-on work is required. There already are existing experiments/stunts with AI trying to generate scripts (as opposed to the hoax/joke fad of "I fed an AI 10,000 hours of ____" stuff a few years ago), and the results are pretty awful. The best known one is a 24/7 Twitch stream in the style of Seinfeld and it's hard to get through five minutes of it without closing the tab down.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Posted by a writer/director friend.
View attachment 285045

With lots of precedent to go by, it's quite feasible that AI will be able to specify requirements a lot more clearly than human managers.

 

[trappedslider]

And another stop Marvel Pauses 'Wonder Man,' 'Thunderbolts' Indefinitely Amid Strike

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

And another stop Marvel Pauses 'Wonder Man,' 'Thunderbolts' Indefinitely Amid Strike

Honestly, it would be surprising if any shows don't stop. They aren't "done" when they have a shooting script. Writing work continues throughout production, responding to things that come up along the way.

 

[overgeeked]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/made-by-history/2023/05/30/wga-strike-hollywood-residuals/

 

[Umbran]

Honestly, it would be surprising if any shows don't stop. They aren't "done" when they have a shooting script. Writing work continues throughout production, responding to things that come up along the way.

And, even if it were - the Teamsters are in agreement that they won't cross WGA picket lines. And there is a lot of trucking going into studios to get productions to run. That agreement hamstrings the infrastructure underlying filming, and can do so unpredictably - anywhere the WGA shows up with signs, the trucks will not cross.