👉 Background: When we think of Hollywood, we think of our favourite movies and actors. But behind the screens, there are about 2.4 million people employed - from writers, to camera crew, to make up artists, to special effects technicians.

👉 What happened: Now, for the first time in over 60 years, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (Sag-Aftra), and the Writers Guild of America, are officially on strike together. And this means:

• Actors and writers part of their respective unions won’t be working on any scripts or sets until the strike ends.
• Upcoming films and shows like Stranger Things, Captain America 4, and the Beetlejuice sequel are all halted.

👉 What else: These artists are banding together to demand improvements in their wages and working conditions. And they've got a pretty big bone to pick with AI too...

What's the key learning?

💡Technology might be advanced, but it doesn't match up to the power of the people. Those on strike are worried that AI will threaten the future of the film and television industry. And they won't back down until a fair deal is struck (Matt Damon's words!)

💡A big issue comes from the fact that studio execs want to use AI to create scans of background performers.

💡This would mean performers get paid for one day of work to be scanned, but the studio would be able to use their scans in the background of films FOREVER. And they argue that this is not a sustainable way to maintain the film industry.

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