Breaking the fourth wall

Who does not have the writer's block? I do.. for hours to days to weeks depending on the task at hand. Consider this article, this one has been in works for 2 days now while I stare at the ceiling all day long. And the fact that I could not spit out even a word for the last 48 hours was irritating and also highlighted the fact, that a writer I am not. But this very writer's block which us common-folks have is the fuel for scarcity on which the writing and creative industry thrives. And this is directly connected to the ongoing strike by the Writers Guild of America or the Hollywood writers, who are in week 3 of their strike. Which also means Stranger Things will release at least 3 weeks late.

In short, the writers think the fourth wall of their creations such as The Westworld have broken and AI will now write TV shows, and the WGA wants to ensure that the rise of AI does not undermine writers' rightful compensation and credits. It is after all their work on which the AI was trained. How else would an AI generate an endless episode of Seinfeld? (yes that happened!)

But it's not just scriptwriters who are worried. Visual artists are feeling the heat too. The introduction of AI art generators which trained on countless images from artists over the past two decades, has raised critical questions about compensation, credit, and copyright infringement. Artists argue that by copying and storing billions of images, AI companies have breached copyright laws, creating derivative works without recognition or compensation for the original creators.

However, copyright laws are complex and case-specific. It could be argued that AI-produced art represents a form of collage - an accepted art form considered "fair use" under copyright law. The question then becomes whether AI's use of information from original works constitutes fair use.

It can be, for example, argued that the AI was trained on style - such as brush strokes, which cannot be copyrighted. Much like the rationale Ed Sheeran used to defend accusations of plagiarism against him - that cord sequences cannot be copyrighted.

This unfolding drama presents a pivotal moment in these industries. It forces us to consider the interplay between technological innovation and creative rights. We need to ask ourselves tough questions: How do we embrace the potential of AI in enhancing creativity while ensuring we respect and reward the human talent that lies at the heart of all great art and entertainment? How do we strike a balance between driving innovation and preserving livelihoods?

We should, while we still have a chance, come together and shape the landscape around synergy and not replacement. Where quality of human life if amplified by AI and not diminished.

My prediction: We won't.

Also note that the image used in this article was created using a DALL-E basing the style on the Japanese anime Akira