Screenwriter Jack Thorne urges law banning secret AI-generated scripts, says peers 'cheat'
nordicinst · x · 2026-09-14
British screenwriter Jack Thorne (co-writer of Netflix's Adolescence, playwright of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) warned in a London speech that some in his profession are using AI "to cheat."
Key points
- He has heard from executives and writers that scripts are being AI-generated without disclosure, eroding the profession's integrity
- He called for legislation banning the secret use of AI to generate scripts, saying "writers need to be squeaky clean"
- He criticized mass scraping of creative work for model training and accused Keir Starmer's government of being "dazzled by tech" and failing to protect copyright
- He fears publishers and streamers will blame writers to justify treating content however they like
He distinguishes using AI to discuss ideas or check spelling from using it to write — the latter, he argues, must be transparent.
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