Survey: U.K. Writers Fear AI Impacts

A majority of television and film writers in the U.K. are concerned about the impact AI will have on their incomes and job security, according to a survey by the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB).

Per the WGGB survey, 65 percent of respondents fear that the increased use of AI will reduce their income from writing. In addition, 61 percent are worried that AI could replace jobs. In response, WGGB has issued a policy paper position statement, Writers and AI, outlining the risk and benefits of AI to writers.

Concerns for writers include decreased job opportunities, lower pay, copyright infringement and lack of government regulation. The survey found that 81 percent of respondents feel they should be paid a fee when their work is used by AI systems.

The WGGB has made several recommendations, including that AI developers should only use a writer’s work if they have permission to do so and should keep logs of the information used to train their tools. AI-generated content should be labeled as such. More than half of survey respondents believe that a new, independent regulator should be set up to oversee and monitor the expansion of AI.

WGGB Deputy General Secretary Lesley Gannon said: “There have been some incredible advancements in AI, but as with any new technology, we need to weigh the risks against the benefits and ensure that the speed of development does not outpace or derail the protections that writers and the wider creative workforce rely upon to make a living. Regulation is clearly needed to safeguard workers’ rights and protect audiences from fraud and misinformation. WGGB is proposing a series of sensible recommendations that will help protect and reassure the writing community, whilst allowing them to enjoy the benefits of this undoubtedly powerful tool.”