As the strike by Hollywood actors and writers drags on, the use of artificial intelligence in films and TV shows has taken centre stage.
The Writers Guild of America has been striking since May 2, joined by the Screen Actors Guild on July 14, the first time in 60 years the unions have picketed together.
Actors and writers are striking against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers over poor working conditions, including pay, creative rights and the looming threat of AI.
Striking over pay is nothing new, but fighting against the encroachment of how AI will be used in future productions is.
“The emergence of AI has been so sudden and has moved so rapidly that it has dominated public discourse, and understandably so,” WGA member Steve Vitolo told The National.
“It’s harder than ever for working-class writers to earn a living and with AI representing an existential threat that could replace livelihoods, these negotiations are more important than ever.”
AI is already used in the entertainment industry in post-production, such as special effects, animation and video editing.
But in this case, workers are concerned about generative AI, which produces original content from data it is fed.
This model, on which programs such as ChatGPT run, can make creative output, such as an image or a script.
Using generative AI could replace scriptwriters, as well as background extras. One of the more dystopian scenarios – a plot that was recently the subject of a Black Mirror episode – is performance cloning.
Studios would pay background actors, like the restaurant waiter or the girl on the street corner, a one-time fee to scan their likeness. That likeness would then be owned by the studio and could be used in perpetuity.
“If we don’t stand tall right now, we are all going to be in trouble,” said Fran Drescher, president of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (Sag-Aftra).
“We are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines.”
Writer, director and producer Justine Bateman said: “What if [background artists] make it as an actor later? Then, [a studio] says, 'Whoops, we already own your rights. Congrats on making it, but we’re just gonna put you in a bunch of movies for free'.”
During a rally in Times Square, Sag-Aftra chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said that the proposal did not apply only to background actors, but franchise projects too.
“So any principal performer out there who thought, ‘Oh, wow. I might have a chance to get on a Marvel movie’ … that job could be your last.
“Because they can tell you that if you want that job, you have to agree to give your consent for them to use your digital replica for ever, with no additional consent and no additional compensation.”
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers denies that is what was in its proposal, saying an actor’s likeness would only be allowed to be used “in the motion picture for which the background actor is employed”.
Sag-Aftra has not yet said what its counter proposal is. But it is clear actors do not want their likenesses to be used by the studios without their permission, input and, importantly, compensation.
There are ways to use AI collaboratively, said Mr Vitolo, who is also the founder of a production app, Scriptation, which allows filmmakers to make notes on scripts.
The tool uses AI to identify and summarise changes between drafts of a script, eliminating the need for users to manually review what has changed, which could save production crews hundreds of hours.
With his app, Mr Vitolo aims to make the lives of industry workers easier, rather than threaten their jobs.
“Our [WGA] membership will not accept a studio executive using AI to write a synopsis of a show, or even a first draft of a screenplay, and then ask a writer to work on it,” he said.
In June, the Directors Guild of America won protection against being replaced by AI tools in a labour contract with producers. Screenwriters and actors are hoping they will be able to negotiate a similar deal.
Aside from the AI issue, industry workers are also campaigning for an increase in minimum pay and higher fees from streaming networks, as giants such as Amazon, Hulu and Netflix have dominated the market in recent years without properly compensating talent.
Screenwriter Kyra Jones revealed that the first residual cheque she received for a broadcast show on which she wrote was for $12,000.
The first residual cheque she received for a streaming show on which she worked was $4.
“The royalties most actors and other industry workers live off have been severely compromised by new technologies, like streaming platforms,” actor Maurice Compte told The National.
“We [have] reached a pivotal moment where we need to make a stand.”
Bringing AI into the entertainment industry needs to be done sensitively and with care, to create an environment where everyone’s job is safe, Compte said.
“The nature of the business is precarious enough as it is without the threat of large conglomerates finding ways to marginalise journeymen actors more than they’ve already been,” he says.
“While I’m sure there’s a peaceful way for new technologies such as AI to coexist in the industry, we need time to integrate it without anyone losing their job.”
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Three trading apps to try
Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:
- For beginners or people who want to start investing with limited capital, Mr Nair suggests eToro. “The low fees and low minimum balance requirements make the platform more accessible,” he says. “The user interface is straightforward to understand and operate, while its social element may help ease beginners into the idea of investing money by looking to a virtual community.”
- If you’re an experienced investor, and have $10,000 or more to invest, consider Saxo Bank. “Saxo Bank offers a more comprehensive trading platform with advanced features and insight for more experienced users. It offers a more personalised approach to opening and operating an account on their platform,” he says.
- Finally, StashAway could work for those who want a hands-off approach to their investing. “It removes one of the biggest challenges for novice traders: picking the securities in their portfolio,” Mr Nair says. “A goal-based approach or view towards investing can help motivate residents who may usually shy away from investment platforms.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
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The National's picks
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Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
