Comment on MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT FOR THE 2023 WGA THEATRICAL AND TELEVISION BASIC AGREEMENT

• InvertedParallax@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  Oh, they got their writing rooms, they broke the Chinese wall of streaming numbers.

  The small raises hurt the rank and file, and the streaming residuals are barely noticeable for the rank and file.

  The wga management made out like bandits, tons of money for the health care and pension funds, some cash for training, and they know the numbers now.

  I don’t think the average member will see much here.

  For ai it’s not a ban, it’s that writers cannot be compelled to work on ai drafts, which is good, but basically it’s an admission that ai sucks now, 5 years down when things have changed there’s room for maneuver.

  But the studios did admit ai isn’t that big of a threat today, which is a useful negotiating point.

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  • Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    This is what the WGA summary says about the AI provisions:

    We have established regulations for the use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) on MBA-covered projects in the following ways:

    AI can’t write or rewrite literary material, and AI-generated material will not be considered source material under the MBA, meaning that AI-generated material can’t be used to undermine a writer’s credit or separated rights. A writer can choose to use AI when performing writing services, if the company consents and provided that the writer follows applicable company policies, but the company can’t require the writer to use AI software (e.g., ChatGPT) when performing writing services. The Company must disclose to the writer if any materials given to the writer have been generated by AI or incorporate AI-generated material. The WGA reserves the right to assert that exploitation of writers’ material to train AI is prohibited by MBA or other law.

    Where do you disagree with their assessment?

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    • InvertedParallax@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      The summary is meaningless, the language is critical, attend:

      The Companies agree that because neither traditional AI nor GAI is a person, neither is a ‘writer’ or ‘professional writer’ as defined in Articles 1.B.1.a., 1.B.1.b., 1.C.1.a. and 1.C.1.b. of this MBA, and, therefore, written material produced by traditional AI or GAI shall not be considered literary material under this or any prior MBA.

      It means gai material is not covered by this agreement unless a writer is asked to rewrite or adapt it as specified in later clauses.

      Gai does not get writing credit, but there is no bar from having a gai written script other than the obvious fact that it would be effectively unwatchable without human editing.

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      • Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Given that the summary is written by the people who wrote the agreement, presumably under the advise of their lawyers, I think I’m going to trust it over someone’s assessment of what they happen to think a single out of context passage means (and to be clear, the entirety of this MOU - if you’re trying to do an actual close legal reading of it - is out of context because this exists in relationship with the existing contracts that it is updating).

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