From scriptor to promptor: an evaluation of the status of authorship, authenticity, and creativity in light of the use of artificial intelligence in screenwriting

Abstract

Even though the immense disruptive potential of the introduction of generative artificial intelligence into creative fields is clear, the specific ways in which this will happen is still uncertain. One significant worry is that the problematic distinction between the original and the fake is going to become further blurred. The status of language becomes particularly problematic in the age of artificial intelligence. In this study, we draw on a number of philosophical theories on the nature of language to set up a conceptual framework within which one can analyze the status of authorship and originality in the case of the operation of generative AI. We argue that two conceptual orientations, namely deconstruction and genealogy, converge on the claim that authorship should be seen as always already a co-authorship. We then use this conceptual framework to interpret the results of a classroom experimentation with the use of generative AI in the production of screenplay loglines and synopses. A key finding of our study is that we must improve the critical skills of the students that will enable them to develop responsible ways of self-expression in creative production.