ChatGPT. An AI bot that has taken the world by storm due to its quick answers and its ease of use. But AI also has its downsides, and unfortunately might be the reason for the downfall of the Arts and human creativity. According to the Pew Research Center, 27% of Americans say that they interact with AI at least several times a day. Only about 44% of Americans say they don’t interact with AI at all. That means that more than half of Americans are using AI to write papers, illustrate images, solve math problems, and even code things. But is the use of AI really that beneficial to our society, or will the rise of AI be the downfall of human creativity?
I have been surrounded by technology for most of my life. Since I was born, over 30 variations of the iPhone and just about 9,759,810 patents have been made for new technologies and inventions. And yet, AI seems to be the reigning leader in this tech revolution. But if AI is the reigning leader in tech, why am I writing this article? Why am I making an argument against something so obviously making people’s lives easier? Well, AI is, in my opinion, getting out of hand, and is making its way into human creativity, most notably screenwriting and the art of television.
On May 2nd, 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA), went on a strike that lasted about 4 months and was estimated to cause losses of about $5B dollars. The main issue of the strike was that movie directors and filmmakers were replacing their screenwriters with AI. Checkpoint, a movie made in 2017, used AI for almost every aspect of the movie. The script, some of the imagery, and other details were all made using ChatGPT and other AI. Screenwriters are now being paid 23% less than they were a decade ago in 2013 (Marketplace.org), even though inflation should have made it to be more. This is an even bigger problem when you consider that the average wage has gone up 4.4% in 2023, and is at a 25 year high. AI is becoming the replacement for the screenwriters. Why, you may ask? First off, ChatGPT and many of the other AI’s are free. Television is an expensive business, and so cutting costs is often necessary in order for the movie to make a profit. Also, AI is quick. Like really quick. According to ChatGPTs parent company Open AI’s developer forum, the average ChatGPT response takes between 15 and 20 seconds. Meanwhile, it can take screenwriters up to two months to write their script. Movie and show directors are already on a time crunch, so two months to just have the script they need to film can be detrimental to the time they need to actually film the movie.
But does this make what the directors are doing acceptable? In my opinion, no. Thousands upon thousands of years of human creativity has led to the birth of the arts and the peak of human capabilities. Think back on some of your favorite shows. Whether it be a comedy, an adventure, a romance, a drama, etc. Now, think about your favorite character(s) from that show. Now imagine that we replace those characters with AI, where their lines sound generic and everything feels fake. Some of our favorite shows resonate with us because of the human element. It is a serious issue that needs to be addressed, and I really hope that the strike and the subsequent problems will lead to change. You, their reader, can actually do something to end this. First off, use AI responsibly. AI was invented to make human tasks easier and quicker, and shouldn’t be something that is used for no good. Secondly, use your voice for change in writers pay. Reach out to film studios, organize peaceful protests, start petitions, whatever you can do to make your mark in the fight for better pay. And finally, encourage the arts. Go watch a play, draw a picture, watch a movie. Encourage human creativity because at the end of the day, it is the most powerful and important accomplishment of mankind.
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