The Emmy winning, “Breaking Bad” actor Bryan Cranston addressed the SAG-AFTRA( The Screen Actors Guild- American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) members on July 25. He spoke against Bob Iger, chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, as he deemed that limiting the use of Artificial Intelligence is “unreasonable” in a newsmaking interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box. Iger remarked that the WGA and the SAG-AFTRA strikes were “very disturbing” and would have a “very, very damaging effect on the whole business.” Iger also remarked that “their right and their desire” to be reimbursed is duly noted, however, the unions “have to be realistic about the business environment and what this business can deliver.”
The SAG-AFTRA strike, which began on July 14th, was initiated in response to demands for better wages and job security. In the events of the raging strike, the “Breaking Bad” actor delivered an intense speech to the striking rally in Times Square near Disney’s ABC Studios. He delivered an admirable speech against the words of Bob Iger.
Cranton addressed the audience from the stage of the “Rock the City for a Fair Contract” rally. He said, “We’ve got a message for Mr. Iger.I know, sir, that you look [at] things through a different lens. We don’t expect you to understand who we are. But we ask you to hear us, and beyond that to listen to us when we tell you we will not be having our jobs taken away and given to robots. We will not have you take away our right to work and earn a decent living. And lastly, and most importantly, we will not allow you to take away our dignity! We are union through and through, all the way to the end!”
The possible boycott of movie making work and strikes have happened on the grounds of Hollywood after the span of sixty three years. Numerous celebrities, including Steve Buscemi, Wendell Pierce, Christian Slater, Christine Baranski, Stephen Lang, and Titus Burgess, have publicly supported and participated in the strike. On stage, they were joined by Michael Shannon, BD Wong, Brendan Fraser, Jessica Chastain, Matt Bomer, Chlo Grace Moretz, and Corey Stoll, among others. However, on a serious note, if AI takes over the script writing business in Hollywood, then it means the end of an era of human intellectual creativity. If there would be no writers, the originality will make its way to the pages of history.
