Sean Penn expressed his support for the Writers Guild of America, whose members now join a ongoing war with Hollywood studios. Speaking at a press conference for his latest film, Black FlyPenn applauded the writers, and called out the exploitative practices embraced by the studios, particularly the use of artificial intelligenceor AI, which he defined as “the abomination of man.”
“My full support is with the Writers Guild,” Penn said Friday, per different. “There are a lot of new concepts being drawn up, including the use of AI. And I’m just sick of human indecency with a push [from the studios] that.”
Continuing, Penn clarified the dynamics of the strike. “The first thing we should do is this [strike] conversations are changing [name of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers] and they title how they behave, which is the bankers guild. It’s hard for many writers and people in the industry not to be able to work. “
AI is an important issue for many industries as technological advances reach new heights – and for writers in particular, the threat of a computer erasing or destroying the their jobs are scary and very possible. Adam destroys Everything Host Adam Conover even shared a breakdown of WGA proposals for the new contract, which includes a section dedicated to the subject.
In those documents, you can read that the WGA is asking for: regulation of the use of AI in projects covered by the minimum basic agreement (MBA), rules that AI may not be used to write or rewrite literary material or act as source material, and an arrangement where the material covered in the MBA cannot be used in AI training. In response, AMPTP rejected all proposals, and countered by offering “annual meetings to discuss technological advances.”
For more information and context on the ongoing strike, see RESULTSof explanatory piece.
Penn stars in upcoming drama Black Fly, which follows EMTs as they navigate the horrors of medical emergencies in New York. The film debuted in competition at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday, and received a five-minute standing ovation. In 2022, Penn made headlines for his support of Ukraine, and even he said considered joining the Ukrainian Armed Forces.