'Adolescence' writer alleges some colleagues are 'using AI to cheat'
What's the story
Jack Thorne, a prominent United Kingdom screenwriter known for works like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Adolescence, and Lord of the Flies, has accused some of his peers of using artificial intelligence (AI) to write scripts. Speaking on behalf of the Writers' Guild of Great Britain (WGGB), he said that this practice is "cheating" and should be punished.
Professional integrity
Thorne's take on AI usage in writing
Thorne expressed his concerns over the use of AI in scriptwriting, saying, "I have spoken to a number of execs and studio heads about their use of AI, and got hugely different responses."
"But what I did hear from them-and what anecdotally I've heard from a few writers close to me-is that some in my profession are using AI to cheat."
He noted these scribes were not merely asking AI for help or guidance but completely depending on it.
Legal implications
'Passing AI work off as your own must be unlawful'
"Using prompts instead of writing words. That is, simply put, failing to write, they're cheating their employers in doing so, and they're cheating their fellow writers."
Thorne also stressed the need for writers to be transparent about their scripts' origins.
He said, "Passing AI work off as your own needs to be unlawful." He added that using AI-generated content without disclosure is fraud, and companies should have the right to take legal action against such practices.
Industry response
Industry should impose sanctions against such practices, urges Thorne
Thorne has called for the industry to impose its own sanctions on those who pass off AI-generated material as their own.
He urged the BBC and Channel 4 to take action if they discover such practices.
"To discourage it, the impact should be sizeable, and that requires laws but also us as an industry responding," he said.
Regulatory concerns
Thorne slams UK government's AI policies
In his speech, Thorne also criticized the government's AI policies. He suggested that a regulatory body should monitor and regulate AI expansion and recommend government intervention if necessary.
He also called for big tech companies to disclose their AI training data sets, including "audited summaries of every input that has led to their outputs."
A government spokesperson responded, per Deadline, "Copyright laws must protect the UK's position as a creative powerhouse while unlocking the extraordinary potential of AI-driven innovation."