AI to enhance or to suppress human creativity: a research into contemporary practice of machine assisted and machine-inspired screenwriting

The authors claim that their initial intention was to study apps and tools for machine-assisted screenwriting, but soon they realized that assistance and inspiration in creative fields are inseparable and embedded in the wholesome character of filmmaking. The omnipotent character of AI makes it impossible to distinguish the contribution of each of its tool into a stained-glass whole of creative process. The current trends and forecasts for the future give reasons to believe that growing demand for high quality video content will only encourage filmmakers to use AI more extensively, both as an assistant and an inspiration, given that AIcentered stories generate an increasing interest among audiences. Literature review conducted as part of this study revealed that despite being positively assessed by many researchers, AI causes apprehension in terms of legal aspects of authorship and future prospect of human involvement in screenwriting process. Authors maintain that there is not enough evidence to suggest that AI can hinder human creativity as a whole, given that the knowledge AI instruments acquire are not only accumulated but also and handpicked by people. Voicing impartial understanding for these concerns, the authors remain convinced that AI will become even more deeply integrated in screenwriting process, and despite the current crisis that found many manifestations, like the strike of Writers’ Guild of America in 2023 or authorship legal disputes, AI holds endless possibilities for innovation and creativity in film industry.