Labor

The poor working conditions that prop up Korea’s film and TV industry are something that workers rights activists hoped Netflix might help combat as the streamer began to source more original programming in the country.

On May 31st, a group of six AI chatbot trainers employed by Google subcontractor Appen were fired after they spoke out about how their poor working conditions could make Google’s Bard chatbot dangerous.

The Directors Guild of America has already approved a tentative new labor contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, and encouraged members to ratify it by vote.

Should the Screen Actors Guid’s upcoming talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers not result in a new labor contract that both sides agree on, the entertainment labor union will be in a position to strike now that an majority of SAG-AFTRA’s members voted to authorize the move.

Members of the Writers Guild of America spoke out against the deal, as seen in a report in Deadline. Several with membership in one or both guilds tweeted complaints that the DGA had “made a deal behind our backs” and didn’t get “close to no AI source material.”

You are never gonna guess what happened.

“RTO, layoffs, and a broken Climate Pledge all show leadership is exhibiting Day 2 behavior and taking us in the wrong direction,” the organizers wrote. The walkout is scheduled to begin at 3PM ET.

In TV critic Maureen Ryan’s forthcoming book Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood, multiple writers and actors who worked on ABC’s Lost describe the hit network show’s inner workings as a toxic nightmare of Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse’s making:

That’s according to LCSPA executive director Phil Aram, who tells The Verge the two sides will be meeting. Professional North American League of Legends esports players recently voted to walk out over rule changes that have largely decimated the amateur league.

According to a report from Gizmodo, NEDA fired the employees that run its eating disorder helpline after they successfully unionized. In their place, NEDA says it will start using an AI-powered chatbot, named Tessa, in June.

As if it wasn’t already painfully obvious how ready studios are to further devalue the labor workers do to make their films and TV shows possible, Max’s new interface has done away with listing writing and directing credits in favor of a catch-all “Creators” label.

The e-commerce giant is downsizing again, cutting around 20 percent of its 11,600-strong workforce after Flexport takes over its logistics business.

YouTube Music contractors voted 41-0 in favor of becoming a union on Wednesday. The workers first filed for a union election in October.