Hollywood writers are being offered a new way to protect their work from artificial intelligence systems, following a partnership between the Writers Guild of America East and technology company Cloak.

The agreement, announced on 20 October, provides guild members with free access to software designed to make scripts and other written documents difficult for AI models to process while preserving their appearance for human readers.

The technology offers a practical response to growing concerns about original creative material being used by AI systems without the knowledge or permission of its authors.

How Does Cloak Protect Scripts From AI?

Cloak has developed software that alters documents in ways intended to interfere with artificial intelligence systems attempting to read or analyse their contents.

Unlike conventional password protection, the technology is designed to leave the document accessible to people. Scripts can retain their original formatting and remain readable to agents, producers and other collaborators.

However, AI systems attempting to process those documents may encounter information that makes the material difficult to interpret correctly.

The company says its technology can protect documents from most AI models, although the effectiveness of the system depends on how individual models attempt to access and analyse the material.

This distinction is important because it means the software is not a guaranteed barrier against every form of AI processing.

Writers Guild Members Get Free Access

Under the partnership, Writers Guild of America East members can access Cloak without paying an additional fee.

The protection is also available to writers outside the organisation when they register creative work through the guild's script registration service, with an additional charge of $10.

Script registration is used by writers seeking to establish a record of their work before circulating it to production companies, representatives and potential collaborators.

Making the technology available through that service provides another option for emerging writers who may have concerns about sharing original material.

However, the protection does not replace copyright law, legal agreements or the need for appropriate safeguards when distributing creative work.

Why Writers Are Concerned About AI Training

Generative artificial intelligence has created considerable uncertainty about how copyrighted creative work may be used by technology companies.

AI systems capable of producing dialogue, fictional scenes and longer pieces of writing have prompted questions about whether original scripts have been incorporated into training material without permission.

For screenwriters, that concern is particularly relevant because a script may be shared with several people or organisations before a production is commissioned.

Once material has been circulated, it can become difficult for its author to know how every copy is stored, reproduced or processed.

The issue also raises broader questions about compensation and creative ownership, particularly when AI tools produce material resembling the work of professional writers.

The Writers Guild has been involved in continuing discussions about AI protections, including contractual provisions governing the technology's use within the entertainment industry.

Can Cloak Completely Prevent AI From Reading a Script?

Cloak's approach offers an additional technical safeguard, but it should not be treated as a complete solution to unauthorised AI use.

Different AI systems employ different methods of extracting information from documents, and their capabilities continue to develop.

A protected document may also be copied, reformatted or otherwise reproduced, potentially affecting the original protective measures.

That means writers still need to consider how their work is shared and the agreements governing its use.

Nevertheless, the partnership represents a significant development because it provides writers with a practical tool rather than relying exclusively on legal protections after material has already been accessed.

As AI becomes more widely integrated into film and television production, the ability of writers to retain control over their original work is likely to remain an important part of the industry's future.