Summer Lopez

Feb 2, 2024 | pen.org | Kristen Shahverdian |Summer Lopez |Jonathan Friedman

The IssueThe most recent war between Israel and Hamas began on Oct. 7, 2023, with Hamas’ murderous attack on civilians in Israel, including the taking of hostages and the targeting of an open-air music festival. Israel’s military response, in a context where Hamas is embedded in civilian infrastructure, has resulted in a devastating loss of civilian lives in Gaza, including writers, artists, and journalists. Treasured cultural centers, libraries, and educational institutions have been destroyed.

Jul 30, 2023 | pen.org | Summer Lopez |Nadine Johnson |Liz Woolery

Central to the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, still ongoing at the time of this writing, are fears that television and movie studios might turn to generative AI tools for ideas and script writing, particularly for more formulaic genres, including children’s television and crime procedurals. This concern falls under the broad rubric of usurpation, or the idea that AI will take over tasks and roles previously carried out by humans.