Netflix Offers $900,000 AI Position Despite Writer's Strike Over AI
If you aren't aware, actors and writers are striking against Hollywood production studios. It's the first joint strike between the two unions since 1960 as they look for higher wages and royalties in the ever-changing technological world.
One of the biggest sources of contention involves artificial intelligence. Many actors and actresses have serious concerns that they don't have any protections against their name, image and likeness being used in future films via AI. It doesn't help that some of the Film & TV companies' proposals have been likened to something out of Netflix's Black Mirror, in which they reportedly could own an AI version of an actor's image forever. (The studios deny this.)
However in a you-can't-make-this-up type of move, Netflix has just posted a listing for a single AI product manager job that pays $900,000 a year, according to The Intercept. That's right - as 87% of actors earn less than $26,000 annually, and their jobs are at risk by AI, Netflix went and posted a big money job for someone to work in... AI.
AI IS TAKING OVER EVERYTHING
Writers and actors are hoping that the studios realize that people will begin unsubscribing from their platforms if no new content is being offered, while the studios are hoping to hold out until union members run out of money and have no choice but to give in. And in the end, they will still be using artificial intelligence!
Black Mirror star Rob Delaney spoke about the ironic frustration that Netflix would not even hold off on their pursuit of AI, despite the ongoing battle that's currently happening.
“So $900k/yr per soldier in their godless AI army when that amount of earnings could qualify thirty-five actors and their families for SAG-AFTRA health insurance is just ghoulish," Delaney told The Intercept, before saying that the studios have more than enough money to pay their workers.
STUDIOS OBSESSION WITH AI - BUT TO WHAT EXTENT?
It's alright if you're not up on everything that's going on regarding the strikes; afterall, we are still in summertime reruns as far as TV and streaming goes. You can be sure though that you WILL definitely notice however when you're favorite show doesn't return when you're bored and held up inside this coming winter. Sorry, Yellowstone and 1923 fans.
The larger issue remains the same however. Artificial intelligence is coming to you and is coming for your job. Whether it's in the medical, financial, blue collar white collar, music or media field - the algorithm is coming.
The only question is - do you realize you are willfully being deceived by Big Tech in saying that it's not? Nearly everything that they've told us throughout the years that has been used in the name "of research," and "analyzing data," has now been aggregated for commercial purposes.
However instead of it being a human that is being paid, it's a robot that is hell bent on taking over the world. Or, in Netflix's case, a person being paid $900,000 to manage said robot.