Hollywood Unions Take a Stand: The Fight Against AI Job Displacement

The threat of artificial intelligence taking jobs reached new heights in 2023. But the year also saw some of the first major fights back, led by unions in Hollywood. Their strikes against movie studios over AI set a precedent and tone for how workers worldwide may resist automation in the future.

The Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild both went on strike for months in 2023. They wanted to stop studios from using AI tools to replace human writers and actors. This was one of the first times unions directly targeted AI as a threat to jobs.

The strikes worked. Studios agreed to new rules limiting how they can use AI without approval. This was a big win for the unions against the spread of AI. According to experts, it was the "first big face-off between humans and AI." And the humans came out on top.

But AI didn't slow down in 2023. One estimate found nearly 300,000 jobs globally could be impacted by AI and automation. Radiologists, journalists, accountants - it seemed everyone worried robots were coming for their work.

Increased anxiety over AI led workers to explore protections like unions. It also sparked new forms of resistance. Groups of authors and artists filed lawsuits against AI systems they accused of illegally using their work. World leaders met at a summit to balance AI's benefits and threats.

President Biden signed an order to minimize AI's impact on jobs and help workers displaced by it. But while AI takes away some jobs, it also creates new ones developing the technology. These roles tend to be highly technical.

The tension between AI destroying and creating jobs will likely continue. The big question is whether new jobs can replace ones lost. And if people have the skills to transition.

Hollywood showed that unions and workers can fight back against AI intrusion. Their stand may inspire more resistance as AI spreads into new sectors. But for now, humans have proven they won't hand over their livelihoods easily - even to the most advanced AI.