Writers Are Missing From the AI Revolution. I’m Building Something to Fix That.
I just took two days completely offline to answer one question: What the heck am I going to build?
For months, I've been writing about AI's impact on writers, both independents and those working in Hollywood. I’ve been sharing my experiments with the “virtual writers’ room.” Documenting my journey writing "Autonomous." Building this newsletter community.
Three weeks ago, I left Microsoft. Two weeks ago, I attended AI on the Lot.
Here's what I realized: I've been writing about the future of entertainment when I should be helping build it.
The Lightbulb Moment
I gave a workshop at AI on the Lot, the annual conference devoted to the AI revolution in TV and Film. Unless I missed something, I was the ONLY session with the word “Writer” in it.
That blew my mind. Because if writers aren’t in the room helping shape these tools, we’re going to end up working for them. Not with them.
The other thing that blew my mind: There’s a HUGE gap between all of the visual tools that are being built (veo3, runway, kling, etc.) and all of the amazing AI tools that writers can use.
We need to bridge that gap—writers, studios, development teams, producers, executives—because writers are the bulwark against AI slop.
By “We” I mean every writer, every studio, every development team, every producer, every executive.
The real opportunity is staring us in the face: AI isn't replacing the writers' room, the development team, the production process —it's evolving it.
What I'm Building
After 48 hours of strategic planning (and yes, talking to Claude, Chat GPT and NotebookLM about my own business strategy—meta, I know), here's where I've landed:
I’m going to start building prototypes for AI Development Labs. I’ll build one of them RIGHT HERE on Substack, with your help.
An AI Development Lab is a hybrid space where writers, execs, and AI tools develop stories together—in weeks, not years.
Writers use AI to compress development from months to weeks
Executives test concepts with audiences before spending millions
Everyone learns to speak both languages: creative and technical
Think of it as part writers' room, part tech incubator, part market research lab.
Not replacing human creativity. Amplifying it.
Why This Matters Now
Here's what I'm seeing in the industry:
Content creation costs are collapsing (anyone can make an "AI film")
Traditional 18-month development cycles can't compete with AI's speed
The winners won't be those who resist—they'll be those who adapt smartest
But here's the thing the “traditional” team of writers, dev people, execs and producers have that AI doesn't: Storytelling craft. Talent relationships. Trusted brands. Taste.
The question isn't whether to use AI. It's how to use it without losing what makes great entertainment... great.
The Real Talk
I've won Emmys on both sides—creative and technical. Built the first web/TV integration that actually worked (Zoog Disney). Helped transform Shark Week's digital strategy. Created Twitter's TV team from scratch.
Now I'm betting my next chapter on this: The future of entertainment isn't human vs. AI. It's human WITH AI, done right.
Your Turn
What would you want to see in an AI Development Lab prototype? What problems should we solve first?
Drop a comment. Let's have the real conversation about where this industry is heading.
Because if we're going to build the future of entertainment, we might as well build it together.
P.S. If you're wrestling with these questions in your own work, I'm putting together a small group of forward-thinking writers and executives to experiment with AI-powered development. Reply if you want to hear more.
P.P.S. Yes, I used AI to help edit this post. The irony isn't lost on me. 🤖
Next Week: I’ll lay out the things we need from you: ideas, notions, treatments and more. DON’T give me what you’re actually working on. Let’s do experiments with fresh, crazy ideas that we can test in our lab.
That is an EXCELLENT question. Ultimately, I think someone is going to have to design software that “runs” the virtual writers’ room. In the meantime:
- I use the tabs in google docs. After each response (from Claude, from ChatGPT, etc.) I enter that LLM’s draft into a tab (“from Claude” etc.) I read each of them, decide which one is the “foundation,” and then revise / copy / paste based on the input from the others.
Inevitably, in the course of doing this, I end up opening a tab labeled “new version,” that is a rethinking of the entire thing. I think that’s the best case for the virtual writers’ room — after reading multiple “takes,” you realize you have your own work to do. You do that and start all over again.
- ChatGPT’s desktop for Mac OS doesn’t have a quick click to upload google docs. I need to download the doc as a word file and upload that. UGH.
- Finally… in the end, I’m pretty much relying on my own memory and instinct to remember which version I like. At some point, you need to just go with a version and move on.
- BTW — chatGPT, true to its character as a really annoying recent USC film school grad — has offered to be my “organizer” for all of the LLMs. I told it to go get my car detailed.
a pain point with using multiples models simultaneously is versioning: how to keep each model up to date? Is it an exercise in meticulous copy/pasting and good labeling, or is there a more automated approach to feeding multiple models the same content? I know Claude can read updates to Google docs in real time. Can one google doc feed several AI's? Can one model be the organizer of versions of your work?