Tony Gilroy, the creator of the critically acclaimed show Andor, has announced that he will no longer publish the show's scripts, citing concerns that the material could be used to train artificial intelligence systems. In an interview with Collider, Gilroy revealed that he had already prepared a 1,500-page collection of scripts and concept art, but has decided not to release it due to fears of AI misuse.
Gilroy's decision comes as a growing number of creatives in the entertainment industry express concerns about the use of their work to develop AI tools that could potentially replace them. The Andor showrunner's decision is seen as a significant move, given the show's critical acclaim and the potential impact of AI on the industry.
Gilroy's concerns are not unfounded. Major studios have already partnered with AI startups to develop machine learning models using content from their movie and TV catalogs. For example, Lionsgate partnered with AI startup Runway last September, while Disney formed a new internal team to coordinate the company's AI and mixed reality efforts. However, these partnerships have raised concerns among creatives about the potential misuse of their work.
The issue has sparked a wave of legal challenges, with the New York Times suing OpenAI for copyright infringement and a coalition of writers, including Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin, filing a lawsuit against the same company. Another group of authors has also filed a lawsuit against Anthropic, alleging that the AI company trained models on a dataset containing unauthorized copies of thousands of authors' works.
The debate surrounding AI and copyright law remains unsettled, with AI companies arguing that their training is legal fair use. However, creatives like Gilroy are taking a stand, refusing to contribute to the development of AI tools that could potentially replace them. As Gilroy puts it, "Why help the fucking robots more than you can?"
The issue is not limited to the entertainment industry. The use of AI has sparked concerns across various sectors, with many calling for greater accountability and regulation. As AI models continue to grow in size and sophistication, the need for clear guidelines and protections for creatives and artists becomes increasingly urgent.
In the meantime, Gilroy's decision serves as a powerful statement about the importance of protecting creative work from AI misuse. As the industry continues to grapple with the implications of AI, it remains to be seen how this issue will be addressed and what measures will be taken to protect the rights of creatives.