Haoyi Zhang | Taiyuan Vantage Academy
ABSTRACT
The strikes initiated by writers and actors in 2023 are some of the largest labor strikes of the film and entertainment industry in the United States over the past decades. The research aims to illustrate the impact of artificial intelligence and streaming media on the labor relations of the film and entertainment industry in the United States through the analysis of the negotiation terms and contracts of the unions in Hollywood Double Strike, and past relevant legal cases and lawsuits. The conclusion is that the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike and the 2023 Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike share similar causes: the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in material writing and filmmaking, and shrinking residual income caused by streaming media and services. Meanwhile, this essay also points out that writers are in a comparatively more advantageous position than actors in the face of future large-scale applications of AI. Ultimately, a prediction is made that uncertainty in the application and regulation of AI and reducing streaming residual income might contribute to further labor strikes in the film and entertainment industry.
Comments