A ‘what if’ piece of speculative fiction about a possible future that could result from the systemic forces changing our world.
// On May 2, 2023, the Writers Guild of America labor union (representing 11,500 writers) declared a labor strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The last time members of the Writers Guild of America put down their pens and picked up picket signs, a period that spanned 100 days from 2007 to 2008, it caused serious disruptions in planned TV show arcs.- src
// What might happen if the 2023 Writer’s strike lasts longer than 2007’s?
// Mid September, 2023. An office in LA. An almost comical caricature of a studio executive sits at a desk, chomping on a cigar.
“I don’t care. We’re not bending the knee to these writers. We can use AI and any other tools we want to make shows.
“Here’s a list I came up with this weekend. Find some non-union people, hire some of those programmers laid off by Silicon Valley, and get me some concepts! We need product!!
The barely legible scribbles on a yellow pad of paper:
A dating show where one contestant is being fed lines from GenAI on what they should say next
Physical challenge show where AI comes up with the challenge, like “will they blend” with a person sized blender
Scavenger hunt show where goals are created by AI, based on the biographies of the contestants
Dating game where AI matches people based on what will generate the most drama that we then film
Live form D&D game where the game master is AI
AI matches martial arts fighters in a weekly contest
AI comes up with new TikTok challenges, then a panel of Influencers watch the results
People wanting to lose weight have to follow an AI-designed workout and diet
AI summarizes the latest trends in the past week on Social Media
Demolition derby where half the vehicles are driven by AI
AI takes movies, characters, and novels in the public domain, and reinterprests them, inserting digital versions of people willing to cross the picket line
AI makes short-form video games, similar to WarioWare, and we film people trying to play them
A game show where people submit their own AIs to compete in a series of challenges, judged by our AI
A note on the side reads - “When we need people, focus on the unknowns looking for their break. When they start getting big, cut them loose. The Internet gives ‘em too much power once they get a following.”