Are you a screenwriter, showrunner, producer, or involved in union or policy work in the film and TV industry? I’m conducting a research project that looks at how generative AI (genAI) is reshaping creative work, rights, and power in the screen industries—and I want to hear from you.

This project explores how genAI intersects with long-standing dialogues around intellectual property (IP), creative autonomy, and new technologies. I’m especially interested in how creative workers are adapting to, negotiating with, or resisting these developments. How are creatives engaging with generative AI in their day-to-day work? How are unions and guilds responding? What policies are emerging to address questions of authorship, ownership, and compensation in this new landscape?

I'm looking to speak with:

• Screen-based creative professionals (e.g., writers, producers, showrunners)

• Representatives from Canadian and US associations, guilds, and unions (e.g., WGC, DGC, CMPA, WGA)

• Cultural policymakers, funders, and distributors (e.g., CRTC, broadcasters, streamers)

This project is part of the Creative Labour and Critical Futures (CLCF) research cluster at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC). Funded by UTSC, CLCF explores how creative workers can shape transformative technological and social futures. In particular, we ask how critical, ethical approaches to digital research—especially in the face of AI—can support sustainable, just, and imaginative futures for creative labour.

Conversations will help inform academic publications, policy briefs, and a community-driven guide to genAI for screenwriters. Interviews are confidential, and participation is voluntary and compensated.

If you're interested in participating or want to learn more about this project, or if you’re a researcher exploring similar things and want to connect, please get in touch with me at daphne.idiz@utoronto.ca.