Key facts
- The Urbanworld Film Festival introduced a new section dedicated to films created using AI tools.
- The Writers Guild of America (WGA), a sponsor of the festival, has withdrawn its support.
- The WGA has been vocal about the potential dangers of AI for creative workers.
- The 2023 MBA includes provisions to regulate AI use on covered projects.
- The WGA is advocating against the exploitation of writers' work for AI training.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has withdrawn its sponsorship from the Urbanworld Film Festival in New York due to the festival's decision to include a section for films created using artificial intelligence (AI) tools. The WGA has been a vocal critic of AI's potential impact on creative professionals and has actively worked to establish protections for writers.
According to the WGA's guidelines, neither traditional AI nor generative AI (GAI) is considered a writer, and material produced by GAI cannot be classified as literary material. If a company provides a writer with GAI-produced material that has not been previously published or exploited, it does not count towards compensation or credit determination, nor can it be used to disqualify a writer for separated rights. Companies are also prohibited from requiring writers to use AI software, though writers can choose to use AI with company consent and adherence to policies. Companies must disclose to writers if any materials provided have been generated by AI.
The WGA also asserts its right to argue that the exploitation of writers' material for AI training is prohibited by its MBA or other laws. The union has established an AI Advisory Committee and a WGAE AI Task Force to monitor AI's impact and advocate for writers' interests. Recent actions include endorsing legislation aimed at labeling AI-generated content and filing amicus briefs supporting the argument that AI training on copyrighted material without consent is not fair use. The WGA has also sent letters to major studios urging them to cease AI theft of writers' work.