Is prompt engineering the future of screenwriting? Views of professional screenwriters and commissioners about the impact of AI technologies on their profession

This article presents a qualitative interview study of Finnish screenwriters and commissioners about the impact of generative artificial intelligence on the profession of screenwriting. We ask how screenwriters and commissioners see the benefits and risks of AI tools in screenwriting and how screenwriters see their changing profession in the future. We identify three stances towards AI-driven work practices in screenwriting. The functional, critical and curious stance reflect the ways in which the writers position themselves against AI technologies. Prompt engineering has emerged as a new skill in commanding AI and will become a conventional part of creative work.