Protecting Stories or Missing the Plot? The WGA’s Approach to AI and Writing

Stop fighting words--focus on what drives stories

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) recently called for Hollywood studios to take legal action against AI companies allegedly using subtitles from TV shows and movies to train their models. On the surface, this might seem like a valiant defense of writers’ intellectual property. But beneath the headlines, it reveals a concerning misunderstanding of what truly makes a story—and what AI models are actually capable of.

The idea that AI models could somehow “steal” storytelling through subtitles isn’t just flawed; it’s an embarrassment for anyone who truly understands the craft of writing. Subtitles are a surface-level artifact of a story. They’re the end product of something far deeper: a writer’s understanding of character, theme, and conflict. What makes a story resonate isn’t the literal words on the page, but the psychology of those words—the subtext driving the choices and emotions beneath the dialogue. To believe that AI trained on subtitles could replicate this process is to conflate a recipe with the meal it creates.

Words Are Not Stories

The WGA’s argument inadvertently reduces storytelling to its component parts: the words themselves. But stories aren’t just a collection of words strung together—they’re a reflection of a writer’s heart, their perspective, and their unique understanding of human nature. Stories live in the choices the author makes--not the characters--and in the unspoken conflicts carefully crafted between people and ideas--a result of artistic intent and heartfelt thematic exploration that ripple through every scene.

What makes this stance even more disheartening is how it inadvertently belittles the very writers the Guild is meant to champion. It suggests that writers are so fragile, so reliant on the “protection” of their words, that the core of their creativity is at risk from an AI cobbled together with lines from Breaking Bad. It ignores the fact that no algorithm can replicate the artistic drive, the personal experiences, or the thematic depth that make a story worth telling in the first place.

The Real Problem With Training AI on Subtitles

Here’s the kicker: training AI on subtitles isn’t just ethically murky; it’s bad storytelling practice. Subtitles capture the surface-level elements of a narrative—dialogue, yes, but stripped of context, meaning, and intent. Any model trained this way would likely produce shallow, hollow imitations of real stories, lacking the soul that comes from a deeper understanding of narrative psychology.

For Subtxt, we’ve never trained on scripts, subtitles, or manuscripts. Why? Because we know that’s a recipe for disaster. Stories aren’t built from the outside in; they’re built from the inside out. Subtxt focuses on modeling the psychology of storytelling—how characters grow, how themes weave through a narrative, and how conflict drives every meaningful choice. Our approach isn’t about replicating what’s been written; it’s about understanding why it was written that way.

Writers Don’t Need Protection From Themselves

The WGA’s position also plays into a deeper insecurity many writers already feel: that without perfect words on the page, they’ll be replaced by something else. But great storytelling doesn’t start with words—it starts with intention. Writers don’t need someone to fight for their ownership of dialogue; they need support in protecting the ideas, the subtext, and the emotional truths that only they can bring to life.

Ironically, by focusing so heavily on the ownership of words, the WGA risks bargaining away the very agency that makes writing powerful. The Guild should be fighting for systems that empower writers to tell stories only they can tell—not reinforcing the false notion that their worth lies solely in the literal text.

Let’s Elevate the Conversation

Storytelling is, and always will be, a deeply human endeavor. AI can offer tools to help writers clarify their vision, refine their structure, and explore creative possibilities. But no AI, regardless of its training data, can replace the artistry and intuition of a writer who has something real to say. That’s the kind of creativity the WGA should be protecting.

Writers don’t need to fear AI trained on subtitles. They need to fear frameworks that reduce their work to surface-level mimicry—whether it’s coming from AI or from the institutions meant to support them. There’s a way forward, one that integrates the writer into the very system they fear will replace them. With Subtxt, we’ve proven this approach to be both effective and rewarding, time and time again.

So let’s stop fighting over words and start focusing on what makes stories truly sing: the heart, the psychology, and the intention behind them. Because without that, even the most polished words are just empty echoes.

And if you’re a writer looking for tools that respect your artistry and amplify your voice, you’ll find them in places that understand the true depth of storytelling. With Subtxt, we believe in helping writers connect with what makes their stories special—not replacing them, but empowering them to shine. 🌟