Screenwriting : Should a screenwriter use Ai? by Taoreed Ademola

Hi, Taoreed Ademola. I've heard that some producers won't read scripts if they're written/co-written by AI, which I think is great.

I don't think it'd be unfair. If a writer is using AI to write/co-write loglines, synopses, scripts, etc., it's unfair to the writers whose loglines, synopses, scripts, etc. are being used to train the AI (without the writer's knowledge or permission).

I'm not sure what tools, processes, and conditions are being used for screening to determine what's AI and what isn't AI, but there are websites that tell you if an image is AI.

Thanks Maurice Vaughan. not a fan of AI too, Point is though, I've seen people complain about their work, which according them was written with just their intellectual efforts, no Ai imput whatsoever, but they got rejected on basis such as: "this term/word is Ai content", "the structure of these words is Ai content ". Now some of these words might not be commonly used around whomever is the critic on the written article but they rejected it just because they have never of it.

Personally, I think it depends on how it's used. AI can be used in a number of different ways when it comes to writing, but I think people should make it clear that they are the creators/developers of their own stories, not the AI lol

Side note, this debate kind of reminds me of the whole "war" between singers who just sang and those who used autotune lol

You're welcome, Taoreed Ademola. Oh ok. Sorry, I misread that part. Yeah, if a writer sends a script and it gets rejected because a producer/etc. just "thinks" they used AI to write/co-write the script, that's unfair. I've heard the suggestion that writers should put "written by a human" in their scripts, but I'm not sure if anyone does it or not.

I don't use it for actual writing but, for research and as an assistant it's proving to be a game-changer for me. I've actually created my own GPT based on my years of blog posts and articles that helps me talk through stuff.

Great insight Scott Sawitz, I've never used Ai for anything and that's because, personally, (Talking about graphic arts in this case) I do not feel that emotional connection in whatever end product the prompt gives out, so maybe that just cancelled out my interest in Ai services altogether.

It's also made some human services in graphic arts redundant too, so maybe the outrage is justified?. Like you said though, I've seen other sources confirming that Ai tools like Grammarly can be quite useful.

Especially in places where people aren’t surrounded by other creatives in this space, AI can be an extremely useful tool when it comes to brainstorming ideas. That’s really how I view it, as a tool. It can provide insights and analysis on character and story development, story structure and audience trends (if that’s important to you). Not so great on the emotional nuances of a scene, however that’s also improving. Ultimately, I think that AI can help you create a richer and more nuanced product as long as you’re using it collaboratively. I don’t see it much different than any other tool. There was a time not too long ago that people lamented social media and the internet and how it was going to get rid of newspaper jobs. There was also a time, not too long ago, that people scoffed at renting DVDs through the mail, that company now commands the room in film circles. It’s forward progress and evolution, whether you embrace it or not, it’s happening. As the Co-Owner of a small studio, we wouldn’t turn away a project simply based on AI involvement. It’s either a good script or it isn’t.

I'm too old school. I think of Ai as a bicycle used for runners. I do use dictionaries and thesauruses though. And every now and then a word next to associated word will pop out and I'll grab it. the closest I have in using Ai would be googling research on a a topic touched upon in the story. But never for creating a story itself. As to the opinion of execs and big shots, I would hope they look at the result rather than the tools.

I use AI as an editor and a collaboration tool for two reasons. Even though I live and work in a metropolitan area, I’m fairly solitary and often I will bounce an idea off of it. It can point me in a good direction, or show me exactly where I don’t want to go with its suggestions. I also have never been able to afford an editor, so it’s really helpful in that respect.

When I’m done with a piece I’ll often run it through AI for a critique just to see what it will come up with. Sometimes I agree with it, sometimes I don’t, but it’s almost always helpful.

I have not yet submitted any of the work I’ve worked on this way.

That's just it, David Austin Veal. That's similar to how I operate too. Fair to point out too, that Google's new upgrade (Gemini AI) can be very contributive to search results these days.

Hi Kimberly Kradel. Encouraging to know you've been putting a lot of efforts. Hope you submit some soon, so you can share your experience. Good luck with them!

Hello Mike McCoy. Glad to hear your opinion as a studio owner, you've said it all. What matters in the end is a good script.

Appreciate the input, Maria Lapay. Nice to meet you.

Ask it to write a thriller/ adventure story. Give it the basic outline. You'll just get Indiana Jones, complete with an eccentric professor. It just copies what's already been done. It's never something new. JMHO.

The key thing to remember is that AI is a tool, not a replacement. Beacuse of the way AI learns it will try to make the average of what it has been learning from and only at face value. Some producers here in Cannes have said they can tell when a script has heavily relied on AI in the actual writing. If you're stuck, need a starting point or a placeholder in a script it can help but if you submit something that the AI has mostly written, some readers may think "if this person can't be bothered to write this, why should I read it?"

Valid point Jon Shallit. I can understand someone using AI for some extensive research on an idea or plot designed primarily with their own brain power. Asking it to just take something out randomly from a genre without any fundamental input is entirely different.

I don't know what software they're using to check for AI. In education, we use Turnitin.com. I doubt people in the industry are paying to use that. There are some free options online, but they're not that reputable. Even turnitin isn't 100% reliable. So...maybe it's AI. Maybe it's a mistake. Either way, AI-generated content is so basic and devoid of emotion, that if they're using AI as "an excuse" for rejection, the writing/story probably needs work. AI is a nice brainstorming tool, but I wouldn't let it generate actual writing content for me. It sounds nothing like me. I can tell pretty swiftly if someone used AI in my classes, but there have been occasions where the student is insistent, so I do allow for a rewrite b/c I know the checkers aren't perfect. Even so, I wouldn't let it touch any of my personal writing, just to be safe. And ANYTHING that is AI-powered can trigger an AI checker, so that means if you use something like Grammarly to proofread, you're at risk.

As a writer and director, and someone who has produced 18 films, including features with Oscar-Winners and Oscar-Nominees, if you're relying on AI, it's not anything I care to work with. Being a writer means being a storyteller and if you need AI to do that? There's no heart or passion in that! I got my start after I penned a short script that I also directed and produced that qualified for the Academy Awards in the Live-Action Short category. I put the time in. That's what I'd like to see from others.

Thanks Sam Borowski. Appreciate your thoughts on this as a producer.

It is a useful tool for research, brainstorming, and pre-planning, but like others have said, avoid using it in the actual writing. AI doesn't know the human experience. It doesn't know what true empathy is. The gold in a script, the reason people go to the movies, is for the humanity in relationships. That's what we connect with, what we care about.

God help us screenwriters if AI figures out how to really do that one day.

Well said, Phil Parker. Hopefully there's not a group of programmers out there trying to figure that out already!. :)

Taoreed, I've been using tools such as https://ScriptReader.ai and https://screenplayiq.com to find out if the scripts I've written are even on the right track. (Lucked out this far...even if there's still absolutely nothing like running a script through human analysis.)

And since 2020, I've been a fan of a tool called ScriptHop. It creates what are called "Packets," and those items work the way a pitch deck does. It, too, uses AI to determine a movie script's/TV script's genre. If you'd like to learn more, just log onto https://www.scripthop.com.

That's as close as I want to get as far as using AI is concerned. I'll never, ever use it to actually write a script for me...regardless of how tempting it might look.

Thanks for posting! Glad you're here on Stage 32!

Thanks for the welcome Jim Boston, glad you're here too!

Taoreed Ademola Hi Taoreed, legally, we also have to remember that AI screenplays cannot be copyrighted. If someone wants to purchase a script, they will be asking you about chain of title and AI scripts don't have that.

Taoreed, you're so very welcome!

It works best in reverse. Write your screenplay without AI, then ask it for a logline, synopsis, treatment, and budget. Then fix all the stupid stuff it spews out. And it will be VERY stupid. Perchance AI works well for images.

I just tried a sophisticated AI system that is used by many prolific authors only to see what it would do with my novel, and it sucked. Big time. The story that it wrote based on my novel was horrendous. It missed the point every time, and had interactions between the characters that would be physically and emotionally impossible. I guess that's what happens when you write a truly original work that many well read people say mine is. AI gets confused when it doesn't have anything to compare it with.

I am an engineer who spent many years developing AI systems. All AI is capable of doing is deep learning existing works it has already been exposed to and using inference engines to develop any of its "original" work. All this means is... all that AI understands is what it sees from its perspective. It doesn't "understand" the limitations of the human body, relationships, or interactions; it only slightly modifies the stories it already heard that it "thinks" compare to the story you're trying to write. Its a mathematical tool that uses statistics and random number generators to do what it does. The random number generator is what AI uses to generate what you think is original work.

This is why AI can also recognize work that was done with AI. It's an expert at recognizing work that was done using its methods. Also, the longer the work, the more easy it can detect AI with exceptional accuracy. Just like people always say, "you can't bs a bs artist."

Use your brain to write. Thats what true art is... Your brain. Not someone else's. Especially not AI's. You didn't write something written with AI no matter how many times you interacted with it.

And for all those coders out there who think virtual neurons are not random number generators... Using inference to find patterns is just that. They're random numbers based on a population's responses over time giving random numbers based on the size of the population!

Taoreed, there is also a (very long) thread about AI use in screenwriting -- specifically called "Using ChatGPT for screenwriting feedback" (so, slightly different from this one) in the Authoring & Playwriting group chat here on Stage 32. There might be some interesting reading over there as well! Best of luck and success with all your work.

Not only are there copyright issues, ethical issues, moral issues, there are also environmental issues.

AI consumes insane amounts of electrical energy. AI uses way too much water for cooling. AI also produces toxic waste.

If you care about the planet your children and grandchildren will inherit...

Hello Isaac Gesser. Your reply is very insightful, thanks.

It's really no different than when painters lamented about the invention of the camera and how it would destroy their industry a century ago.

You can either adapt and change with the times while utilizing it as the tool it is, or not; but trying to legislate or dictate how others should behave measured against personal conjecture is ridiculous, and well within the realm of frivolous gatekeeping by those who oppose it; at its best AI is a device that expands accessibility and creativity.

I personally use it to create title pages, concept art, critique my writing, and act as an on-demand thesaurus in order to avoid repetition; the results have been decent enough and honestly anyone who finds it threatening needs to do more research as AI is far from being able to craft cohesive and thought-provoking narratives by itself.

If you can afford it, it's simply another tool in a writer's toolbox no different than a pencil sharpener or a dictionary; nothing more.

Great question, Taoreed — I’d like to know more myself. It’s definitely a hot topic, and there’s a lot of questions around how AI is being flagged and handled in the industry.

We have a great 2-part class with entertainment attorney Thomas Crowell called Understanding AI – Your Guide to Legal Protection. He breaks it all down and shares how to protect your work! I am on the Stage 32 education team, if you have any questions email me at edu@stage32.com

Class link here : https://www.stage32.com/education/products/2-part-class-understanding-ai...

Hi Sydney S, very nice to meet you and thanks for the link. Definitely checking it out.

Thanks for the insight Nathan Grimm. personally I'm indifferent on how writers should relate with AI, But I must say, most people I've discussed this with are of similar views....producers though, not so much.

Taoreed Ademola that's because they're losing their ability to coattail brother; and it's costing them money, lulz..

As long as you've got your copyrights and intellectual property sorted out, it shouldn't matter where you get your input, either from your own diaries, stories from your grandparents, newsflashes, or generative AI. As long as it's good and original.

But don't be lazy; I think that we can do better than AI if we bring in our own subjectve themes, taste, values, etc.