What Hollywood thinks about existential AI warnings
News Source
•2026-09-18T12:35:19-04:00
📰 What Happened
Tech leaders keep warning that AI could destroy humanity. But Hollywood's biggest labour unions are urging the public to focus on what is already real. They say AI is taking work from actors and writers right now.
The Verge asked Disney, Netflix, Amazon, Lionsgate and other studios for comment. Most have stayed silent on the issue. The unions want action on real job losses, not far-off sci-fi fears. They say the "AI apocalypse" talk can distract from everyday problems like pay and consent.
🔍 The Backstory
Writers and actors went on strike in 2023, partly over AI. Those strikes won new rules on how AI can be used in films and shows. Since then, studios have kept testing AI tools for scripts, voices and images. Some film startups are building AI-driven work.
Unions worry that this slowly replaces human work. They want clear consent and fair pay when AI uses a performer's face or voice. The debate is growing fast as the tools improve. It sits at the heart of a wider fight about the future of creative jobs.
🎯 Why It Matters
Many people work in film, TV and streaming. New AI rules decide whether those jobs survive and whether artists get paid for their work.
Tech leaders keep warning that AI could destroy humanity. But Hollywood's biggest labour unions are urging the public to focus on what is already real. They say AI is taking work from actors and writers right now.
The Verge asked Disney, Netflix, Amazon, Lionsgate and other studios for comment. Most have stayed silent on the issue. The unions want action on real job losses, not far-off sci-fi fears. They say the "AI apocalypse" talk can distract from everyday problems like pay and consent.
Writers and actors went on strike in 2023, partly over AI. Those strikes won new rules on how AI can be used in films and shows. Since then, studios have kept testing AI tools for scripts, voices and images. Some film startups are building AI-driven work.
Unions worry that this slowly replaces human work. They want clear consent and fair pay when AI uses a performer's face or voice. The debate is growing fast as the tools improve. It sits at the heart of a wider fight about the future of creative jobs.
Many people work in film, TV and streaming. New AI rules decide whether those jobs survive and whether artists get paid for their work.