• Charles Sturt communications expert says the SAG-AFTRA deal could have consequences for the Australian film and television industry
• Actors and writers in the United States ended a 118-day strike in early November after a deal was met that offers protections around the use of AI in the industry
• A leading communication expert said AI in the entertainment industry is inevitable but there are ways that it can be done ethically

A Charles Sturt University communication lecturer said there is an opportunity to ‘responsibly adapt’ to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the entertainment industry.

Writers, actors and industry professionals in the United States recently claimed proposals for use of AI to make films and television shows would strip humans of jobs and creative freedoms.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) was concerned this would take away paid writing opportunities while the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) was concerned that AI would allow scans of actors’ faces to be used to digitally recreate them in future works without permission or payment.

These concerns, among others, led to the first joint actor and writer strike in 60 years that resulted in an almost 120-day shutdown of Hollywood.

Senior Lecturer in Communication in the Charles Sturt School of Information and Communication Studies in Bathurst Dr Travis Holland said this is a threat to creative workers in two ways.

“Firstly, generative AI can potentially rely solely on historical material to create new scripts,” he said.

“Secondly, in relying on that material, the software seems to breach copyright protections because it is copying and using existing work in ways that were never explicitly permitted by the original author.”

The SAG-AFTRA strike did not reach Australia, but Dr Holland said there are repercussions for the Australian industry.

While the problem originated in the United States, he said that sooner or later, these technologies would be used in the Australian film and television industry.

The Australian Writers Guild recently described numerous ethical issues, including risk to First Nations culture, authorial control, moral rights and transparency, which need to be considered.

“These and other expert perspectives need to be included in discussions around how to responsibly adapt to the changing world in which we all find ourselves,” he said.

Dr Holland said generative AI can have positive impacts in the entertainment industry, for example, in identifying hotspots for short clips to be shared to social media and transcribing and summarising long interviews.

Content will still need to be checked for accuracy, so Dr Holland said the tools should be used carefully.

Multiple copyright lawsuits are currently underway in the United States, which Dr Holland said could set a global precedent.

Dr Holland said in the education context there have been conversations about ‘authentic’ assessment, a similar structure to what students would adopt in a work environment.

“In the case of media or communication students, this might mean producing podcast scripts or ad campaigns for real clients,” he said.

“However, that has some problems. Not only do we largely already do authentic assessment here at Charles Sturt, but the AI tools have no less trouble producing a podcast script than they do an essay.

“Additionally, some industries are already widely adopting generative AI, so suggesting that we should just outright ban it at University would actually go against industry practice.”

A tentative deal was offered in early November, ending the strike and setting new precedents for the industry moving forward.

The SAG-AFTRA deal provides protections around the use of AI, highlighting informed consent and compensation, including unprecedented wage patterns.

Dr Holland said the communication and entertainment industries should focus on responsible use and ethics of AI.

“Governments, impacted industries, and the AI companies themselves need to have an informed and careful discussion about how to responsibly deploy the technology,” he said.

“The SAG-AFTRA deals go some way to shaping these discussions, and jurisdictions such as the European Union are starting to implement strong AI regulations.”