Hollywood faces total shutdown: Hollywood strike to resist "AI invasion"

The rise of artificial intelligence has threatened many jobs. Today, Hollywood has experienced its first simultaneous strike by screenwriters and actors since 1960, and it has another meaning: the first collective action by humans to resist the threat of artificial intelligence.

According to overseas media reports, on the 13th local time of this month, the Screen Actors Guild and Allied Radio and Television Artists (SAG-AFTRA), which represents 160,000 performing artists, announced that their negotiations with the production company had broken down and decided to go on strike from now on.

In addition to the salary conflicts between actors, screenwriters and employers, the main reason for the strike is the threat of artificial intelligence (AI) replacing actors and screenwriters. SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said at a press conference on the 13th: "If we don't hold our heads up now, we will be in trouble and face the risk of being replaced by machines."

During the negotiations, SAG-AFTRA cited the example of the fifth film in the "Indiana Jones" series, which was a huge hit this year. The film used artificial intelligence technology to allow the audience to see what veteran Hollywood actor Harrison Ford looked like when he was young, but it is still uncertain whether the actors can benefit from these "digital people."

In addition, many screenwriters have similar concerns. They believe that producers and platform companies may use artificial intelligence to create script content in order to save costs, which will replace their own work and reduce their income.

It is worth mentioning that in May this year, the six-week contract negotiations between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and film companies broke down, and Hollywood suffered its first screenwriters' strike in 15 years. This time, actors and more screenwriters joined in.