AI poses an existential threat to the entertainment industry as we know it, and it is entirely justified for the WGA to demand control over its usage. Networks and studios have a troubling history of adopting new technologies. In 2008, studios commanded a $16.9 billion market in DVDs and home videos, but their lack of understanding and adaptation to streaming technology caused an 86 percent loss within the first decade. Change happens rapidly in the entertainment sector, with sound movies replacing silent films and television superseding network radio. The rise of streaming has significantly impacted artists’ income and studio financing, wiping out billions in revenue.

Ginger Liu is the founder of Hollywood’s Ginger Media & Entertainment, a Ph.D. Researcher in artificial intelligence and visual arts media — specifically death tech, digital afterlife, AI death and grief practices, AI photography, entertainment, and an author, writer, artist photographer, and filmmaker. Listen to the Podcast — The Digital Afterlife of Grief.