A.I. in Playwriting is Plagiarism

Recently, I reviewed several play scripts submitted to me. I enjoy reading people's work. In fact, I support people engaging in writing, as I believe they gain significant joy from it. Most writers enjoy getting notes on their work.

Then I read a work that was intended for the stage but had curious formatting, and the dialogue was acceptable. However, something was off.

Discussing my observation with our tech, he asserted that the script could have been made using AI technology. I did not know such a thing existed with scripts. Then I recalled the writers' union in 2023, with the WGA concerned about AI-generated scripts.

I researched AI-generated scripts to see what people were saying about them. I learned that using AI-generated scripts counts as plagiarism, and authors who write books with AI are banned from certain book-selling platforms. 

If that work I recently read was generated with AI, it explains why the story felt uninspiring. No wonder I had lots of notes for the author. I was trying to make a script feel human.

Play scripts need to be written from the heart. The story must reflect human experience and emotion. Maybe AI can assist with how-to videos or podcast intros, but the book industry disapproves, and as a theater artist, I say the stage is not a good place for AI-generated scripts. The humanness is missing.