4 weeks after publication, this Black Mirror episode is already a reality

If Hollywood studios had their way, the answer would be yes. (Image: Netflix)

Making actors younger using computers is a common practice in Hollywood. Sometimes studios even resurrect deceased actors with CGI, like Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

With AI, however, actors face a new threat to their profession that could make humans obsolete.

You can read how CGI has improved in the last ten years alone in this article:

Hollywood actors are on strike

In addition to the authors, the actors in Hollywood have also been on strike since yesterday. For the first time in 60 years, the dream factory has been hit by a double work stoppage.

Above all, it is also about the identity of the artists. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief negotiator for actors’ association SAG-AFTRA, said at a press conference that their demands include protecting the actors’ digital likenesses.

What made him make this request? Grabtree-Ireland explains in this statement:

The use of AI is also a sticking point in the writers’ strike. If you want to know which projects are affected: Sören has already collected all the information about the walkout.

Black Mirror becomes real

Black Mirror is a sci-fi anthology series that explores a new dystopian idea in each episode.

On June 15, 2023, almost exactly four weeks ago, the sixth season went online on Netflix, and the first episode covers exactly what actors and actresses in Hollywood are currently on strike for.

Writing Black Mirror with AI help? The creator tried:

In the episode Joan Is awful sees an ordinary, middle-class woman, like a series on a fictional streaming service similar to Netflix, showing what she experienced today – starring Salma Hayek. But how could a studio process what happened just a few hours later as a series?

As it turns out later, the fictional series was so up-to-date because a quantum computer used the image of actors (like Salma Hayek) using AI to produce the series as quickly and as up-to-date as possible.

So digital AI clones were used to tell a story. That’s exactly what the strikers in Hollywood are currently trying to prevent.

It’s amazing how close dystopian fabrics are to our reality at times. With the advent of AI, not only do some people fear for their jobs, artificial intelligence is also penetrating creative areas such as book writing. How does your AI compare? Do you want to see real actors in the future? How could AI and art coexist? Write it in the comments.