Contractual regulation of AI?

[ElmerJFudd]

“When the union representing Hollywood writers laid out its list of objectives for contract negotiations with studios this spring, it included familiar language on compensation, which the writers say has either stagnated or dropped amid an explosion of new shows.

 

But far down, the document added a distinctly 2023 twist. Under a section titled “Professional Standards and Protection in the Employment of Writers,” the union wrote that it aimed to ‘regulate use of material produced using artificial intelligence or similar technologies.’

To the mix of computer programmers, marketing copywriters, travel advisers, lawyers and comic illustratorssuddenly alarmed by the rising prowess of generative A.I., one can now add screenwriters.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/29/business/media/writers-guild-hollywood-ai-chatgpt.html

[OG_Dave]

AI is a hot topic. Personally, I think it's a laughably stupid idea and am eagerly looking forward to the first major calamity that comes from its unbridled introduction. Humans...ah humans, we never see a bad idea we don't like.

[KuruPrionz]

The genie is out of the bottle. 

"Regulations" for Hollywood writers will simply move the work elsewhere. 

AI isn't going to be controllable by entities set on preventing change.

 

I'm not advocating for AI, just pointing out the futility of a small cluster of creatives in a relatively small area of the world being regulated by people who somehow think they have enough power to restrict and enforce what is already a world-wide force of change. 

[Anderton]

2 hours ago, KuruPrionz said:

The genie is out of the bottle. 

"Regulations" for Hollywood writers will simply move the work elsewhere. 

AI isn't going to be controllable by entities set on preventing change.

 

I'm not advocating for AI, just pointing out the futility of a small cluster of creatives in a relatively small area of the world being regulated by people who somehow think they have enough power to restrict and enforce what is already a world-wide force of change. 

 

I believe time will prove you are 100% correct. Once the Napster genie was out of the bottle, it could not be contained. Ultimately, it led to today's music industry...which I think most people will agree has been structured solely to prioritize financial returns, not artistic ones.

 

It reminds me of school teachers. Once teachers' pay didn't keep up with other jobs, fewer people went into teaching and the pool of quality teachers kept shrinking. Sure, there are still dedicated teachers whose love of teaching overcomes the low pay...just like there are musicians who keep making music. But who in their right mind would decide that becoming a musician is a viable full-time career choice in 2023?

 

I suspect that we'll be seeing a world where mediocrity rules, and no one is willing to take a chance because a far greater number of people will accept mediocrity than seek out excellence. Or maybe it's already there.

[ElmerJFudd]

One thing seems true, at least from anecdotal evidence all around us.  Post pandemic, many  people’s priorities have shifted.  Work + Family + Life balance has reset. 
 

What will humans do with themselves when there isn’t much work to be had and we’re living on some guaranteed check from the state? 

[Anderton]

5 hours ago, ElmerJFudd said:

What will humans do with themselves when there isn’t much work to be had and we’re living on some guaranteed check from the state? 

 

When I visited Amsterdam in the 80s, I was told that artists could get subsistence living from the state. I thought wow, that's kind of cool...you could make art without having to worry about starving. My Dutch friend said "Yes, but it results in uninteresting art made by bored people."

 

I think he had a point. If I'd had an even remotely comfortable life, I doubt that I would have generated so many books, recordings, articles, and videos. I would have taken the time to enjoy life.

[OG_Dave]

On 4/30/2023 at 4:36 PM, Anderton said:

I suspect that we'll be seeing a world where mediocrity rules, and no one is willing to take a chance because a far greater number of people will accept mediocrity than seek out excellence. Or maybe it's already there.

 

My wife coined the the term "tyranny of mediocrity" back in 2010 or so to describe what daily life at her 40/hr a week job had become. Funny girl. It's been a race to the bottom for a while now and all the lies and incompetence are being seen for what they are by a growing percentage of people. It's getting downright crowded here in loony land with all the new converts.

[Anderton]

1 hour ago, OG_Dave said:

My wife coined the the term "tyranny of mediocrity" back in 2010 or so to describe what daily life at her 40/hr a week job had become. Funny girl. It's been a race to the bottom for a while now and all the lies and incompetence are being seen for what they are by a growing percentage of people. It's getting downright crowded here in loony land with all the new converts.

 

I think the interest in vinyl, CDs having sold more in 2021 than in 2020, streaming services gravitating to high-res files, and the like might mean that some people have lost interest in racing to bottom, and want to claw their way upwards again. If you want a somewhat more optimistic outlook, check out Is the Race to the Bottom Over?

 

FWIW sales of CDs went back down in the first half of 2022, but that could be due to high-res streaming becoming more popular. For stats on streaming, vinyl, CDs, etc., this is in an interesting summary.

[OG_Dave]

I enjoyed both articles, thanks!