As the strike by Hollywood actors and writers drags on, the use of artificial intelligence in films and TV shows has taken centre stage.
The Writers Guild of America has been striking since May 2, joined by the Screen Actors Guild on July 14, the first time in 60 years the unions have picketed together.
Actors and writers are striking against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers over poor working conditions, including pay, creative rights and the looming threat of AI.
Striking over pay is nothing new, but fighting against the encroachment of how AI will be used in future productions is.
“The emergence of AI has been so sudden and has moved so rapidly that it has dominated public discourse, and understandably so,” WGA member Steve Vitolo told The National.
“It’s harder than ever for working-class writers to earn a living and with AI representing an existential threat that could replace livelihoods, these negotiations are more important than ever.”
AI is already used in the entertainment industry in post-production, such as special effects, animation and video editing.
But in this case, workers are concerned about generative AI, which produces original content from data it is fed.
This model, on which programs such as ChatGPT run, can make creative output, such as an image or a script.
Using generative AI could replace scriptwriters, as well as background extras. One of the more dystopian scenarios – a plot that was recently the subject of a Black Mirror episode – is performance cloning.
Studios would pay background actors, like the restaurant waiter or the girl on the street corner, a one-time fee to scan their likeness. That likeness would then be owned by the studio and could be used in perpetuity.
“If we don’t stand tall right now, we are all going to be in trouble,” said Fran Drescher, president of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (Sag-Aftra).
“We are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines.”
Writer, director and producer Justine Bateman said: “What if [background artists] make it as an actor later? Then, [a studio] says, 'Whoops, we already own your rights. Congrats on making it, but we’re just gonna put you in a bunch of movies for free'.”
During a rally in Times Square, Sag-Aftra chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said that the proposal did not apply only to background actors, but franchise projects too.
“So any principal performer out there who thought, ‘Oh, wow. I might have a chance to get on a Marvel movie’ … that job could be your last.
“Because they can tell you that if you want that job, you have to agree to give your consent for them to use your digital replica for ever, with no additional consent and no additional compensation.”
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers denies that is what was in its proposal, saying an actor’s likeness would only be allowed to be used “in the motion picture for which the background actor is employed”.
Sag-Aftra has not yet said what its counter proposal is. But it is clear actors do not want their likenesses to be used by the studios without their permission, input and, importantly, compensation.
There are ways to use AI collaboratively, said Mr Vitolo, who is also the founder of a production app, Scriptation, which allows filmmakers to make notes on scripts.
The tool uses AI to identify and summarise changes between drafts of a script, eliminating the need for users to manually review what has changed, which could save production crews hundreds of hours.
With his app, Mr Vitolo aims to make the lives of industry workers easier, rather than threaten their jobs.
“Our [WGA] membership will not accept a studio executive using AI to write a synopsis of a show, or even a first draft of a screenplay, and then ask a writer to work on it,” he said.
In June, the Directors Guild of America won protection against being replaced by AI tools in a labour contract with producers. Screenwriters and actors are hoping they will be able to negotiate a similar deal.
Aside from the AI issue, industry workers are also campaigning for an increase in minimum pay and higher fees from streaming networks, as giants such as Amazon, Hulu and Netflix have dominated the market in recent years without properly compensating talent.
Screenwriter Kyra Jones revealed that the first residual cheque she received for a broadcast show on which she wrote was for $12,000.
The first residual cheque she received for a streaming show on which she worked was $4.
“The royalties most actors and other industry workers live off have been severely compromised by new technologies, like streaming platforms,” actor Maurice Compte told The National.
“We [have] reached a pivotal moment where we need to make a stand.”
Bringing AI into the entertainment industry needs to be done sensitively and with care, to create an environment where everyone’s job is safe, Compte said.
“The nature of the business is precarious enough as it is without the threat of large conglomerates finding ways to marginalise journeymen actors more than they’ve already been,” he says.
“While I’m sure there’s a peaceful way for new technologies such as AI to coexist in the industry, we need time to integrate it without anyone losing their job.”
THREE
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Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo
Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua
Based: Dubai, UAE
Number of employees: 28
Sector: Financial services
Investment: $9.5m
Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors.
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Six tips to secure your smart home
Most smart home devices are controlled via the owner's smartphone. Therefore, if you are using public wi-fi on your phone, always use a VPN (virtual private network) that offers strong security features and anonymises your internet connection.
Keep your smart home devices’ software up-to-date. Device makers often send regular updates - follow them without fail as they could provide protection from a new security risk.
Use two-factor authentication so that in addition to a password, your identity is authenticated by a second sign-in step like a code sent to your mobile number.
Set up a separate guest network for acquaintances and visitors to ensure the privacy of your IoT devices’ network.
Change the default privacy and security settings of your IoT devices to take extra steps to secure yourself and your home.
Always give your router a unique name, replacing the one generated by the manufacturer, to ensure a hacker cannot ascertain its make or model number.
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Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
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THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
more from Janine di Giovanni
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Bio
Age: 25
Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah
Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering
Favourite colour: White
Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai
Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.
First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.
Play-off fixtures
Two-legged ties to be played November 9-11 and November 12-14
- Northern Ireland v Switzerland
- Croatia v Greece
- Denmark v Ireland
- Sweden v Italy
UAE%20SQUAD
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4