Writers Guild of America

• In the long-running Writers Guild of America strike, a central sticking point has been the guild’s demand that AI be used only as a research tool and not a replacement for its members.
• For many creative types, it seems harder to earn a living with AI around.
• At the same time, however, AI tools are often seen as a springboard to next-level human creativity.

What is creativity?

• Psychological or personal (p-type) creativity happens when an individual thinks something for the first time – even if others have thought it separately before.
• Historical creativity (h-type), on the other hand, happens when an individual thinks something that has never been thought before.
• One example would be Archimedes’s “eureka” moment in the bath, which supposedly led to him discovering the law of buoyancy.

Generative AI doesn’t belong in either category

• AI obviously has the potential to promote both p-type and h-type creativity.
• But there is one key difference between human creativity and AI-driven creativity: the latter doesn’t stem from the evolutionary clash of mind and world.
• It formalises the fact that while AI models are capable of provoking new thought, they are limited by the underlying data they have been trained on.

The big risk: a generic spiral

• This sameness further put us at risk of a generic spiral.
• So the more we use AI for g-type creativity, the more generic our content will become – and since this will be used to further train AI, the more generic AI outputs will become.
• While this might be useful for certain specialist tasks – such as consistently interpreting law – it’s worrying to contemplate the kind of Orwellian political economy a generic spiral might give rise to.

Can we enjoy AI and also preserve creativity?

• Balancing and reconciling human creativity with AI isn’t as simple as going for regular walks in nature – although that will probably help.
• Generative AI may well be a transformative technology to rival the printing press or steam engine.

• BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Aug. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kartoon Studios (NYSE American:TOON) today provided a business update for the second quarter of 2023.
• Although the strike is ongoing, neither Kartoon Studios nor its subsidiaries are signatories of WGA or SAG.
• As a result, Kartoon Studios is now less dependent on third-party networks for distributing our content.
• As of June 30, 2023, Kartoon Studios had current assets of $91.6 million, working capital of $14.4 million, and total stockholders’ equity of $87.5 million.

• BURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ben & Jerry's is lifting the curtain on its newest production a delicious partnership with Ava DuVernay.
• Yes, "Queen Sugar" is no longer simply a show by Ava DuVernay, it may be a moniker befitting of the award-winning director, filmmaker and TV producer herself.
• directed by Ava DuVernay," featuring an ensemble cast of vanilla ice cream with salted caramel swirls, graham cracker swirls and gobs of chocolate chip cookie dough.
• The Ben & Jerry's Foundation, guided by Ben & Jerry's employees, granted $3.7MM in 2021 to support progressive, justice-focused grassroots organizing around the country.

• HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 8th annual Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) will take place November 9 18, 2022 in Los Angeles.
• AWFF's closing film will be South Korea's Oscar submission DECISION TO LEAVE , directed by Park Chan-wook, winner of Cannes 2022 Best Director Award.
• Expanded programming across 10 days will include centerpiece and special screenings, thematic film days, industry forum discussions, and other celebrations.
• The Asian World Film Festival (AWFF), founded by Kyrgyz public figure Sadyk Sher-Niyaz, brings the best of a broad selection of Asian world cinema to Los Angeles to draw greater recognition to the region's wealth of filmmakers and to strengthen ties between the Asian and Hollywood film industries.