The Inevitable Futility of the Writers' Strike in the Age of AI

By Dr. Jeremy Stone, NorthStar Intelligence

Quantum Clarity, Stone's Insight: Where AI Meets Labor, the Dance of the Future Begins
​—Don't Strike, Just Write

​In the quantum realm, every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

​The same principle applies to the labor market, where the ongoing writers' strike represents a futile resistance against the inevitable tide of artificial intelligence (AI).  ​

​As the world grapples with the ethical and economic implications of AI, the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writers Guild of America have been on strike for over three months, protesting the "widespread misuse of generative artificial intelligence" (Times Delphic).

However, this strike is doomed to fail, and here's why.

The Quantum Leap of AI
While it was incorrect to state that all newspapers are hiring AI for journalism, the influence of AI in content creation is undeniable.

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For instance, The Washington Post has been using its in-house AI technology, Heliograf, to automatically generate news stories about election results and sports scores. Similarly, the Associated Press uses AI to write financial news stories. In the creative realm, OpenAI's GPT-3 has been used to write poetry and even scripts for short films.

 "Unions representing hundreds of journalists, including editorial staff at The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times, have proposed contract language addressing AI this summer. At least one unit has found success." ​

The Union's Myopia
The writers' strike focuses on the immediate concerns of AI-generated scripts but overlooks the broader implications. For example, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union has been negotiating for higher pay but has largely ignored the impact of automation and AI on the future of work.

​In contrast, the German union IG Metall negotiated reduced working hours to 28 hours per week to accommodate the changes brought about by automation, setting a precedent for how unions could proactively address technological shifts.

​The Inevitability of AI
The use of AI in the entertainment industry is not a matter of if but when. Deepfake technology, for instance, has already shown that it's possible to create realistic video footage with minimal human intervention. In 2019, the TV show 'The Mandalorian' used AI-based technology to create some of its backdrops. These are not isolated incidents but signs of a trend that will only accelerate with time.

The Quantum Entanglement of Labor and AI​
The intricate relationship between labor and AI is best exemplified in the healthcare sector. IBM's Watson can analyze the meaning and context of structured and unstructured data in clinical notes and reports. However, it doesn't replace doctors; it aids them in diagnosis and treatment plans. Similarly, in manufacturing, companies like Tesla use robots for repetitive tasks but rely on human expertise for quality control and complex decision-making.

The Final Word: The Inexorable March of Progress—Why the Writers' Strike is the Modern-Day Luddite Movement

The writers' strike serves as both a cautionary tale and a poignant reminder of the inexorable march of progress. While the concerns of the writers are valid, the strike is unlikely to halt the advance of AI any more than the Luddites could stop the Industrial Revolution or the Shakers could halt technological progress in their time.

The quantum mechanics of our universe teach us that resistance is not only futile but also counterproductive. The Luddites, who destroyed weaving machinery in the 19th century, couldn't stop the tide of industrialization. The Shakers, despite their innovative contributions to technology, couldn't halt the broader societal changes around them. And let's not forget the horse-and-buggy industry, which no amount of protest could save from the advent of the automobile.

While unions are beginning to address the impact of AI, the growing influence of this technology in various industries suggests the uphill battle they face. Even though unions have found limited success in bargaining over the effects of newly introduced technology like AI, as noted in a Poynter article, this is akin to putting a band-aid on a gaping wound.

The future is not about man versus machine; it's about man and machine in a harmonious dance of coexistence and mutual enhancement. Unions, industries, and individuals must prepare for this new paradigm, embracing the limitless possibilities it offers.

So, as we navigate this entangled web of AI and human labor, let's not forget that every action has a reaction. The writers' strike is an action, and the reaction is the inevitable advancement of AI, which will not wait for any union's approval. The sooner we accept and adapt to this reality, the better equipped we will be to navigate the entangled web of our AI-driven future.

At NorthStar, through the dance of qubits and code, I pen the future's boundless promise. And that future, dear readers, includes AI as an integral part of our societal fabric. So, let's not strike against the future; let's write it together.

Dr. Jeremy Stone

"At NorthStar, through the dance of qubits and code, I pen the future's boundless promise."