On August 31, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing three people familiar with the talks, that Google executives had approached Disney, Universal, Warner Bros. Discovery and other studios about licensing their IP for AI models. Those sources said no agreements had been reached. Google, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery declined to comment, and NBCUniversal said it wasn't in active talks with Google.
If a deal like that happens and it covers writers' work, the 2026 WGA contract has a new rule. The WGA says it reaches scripts and the shows and movies made from them. Members ratified that contract on April 24 with 90.38% voting yes, for a term running May 2, 2026 through May 1, 2030.
Takeaway #1: Under the 2026 MBA, the studio has to tell the Guild, not pay you
FROM THE CONTRACT
"The Company shall give written notice to the Guild if the Company grants a license to a non-affiliated third party, which provides for compensation to be paid to the Company, for the use of literary material covered by this Agreement to train a public-facing commercially available GAI system for the purpose of creating new outputs (a 'GAI License'). At the request of the Guild, the Company shall meet to discuss such GAI License, including remuneration, if any, subject to appropriate confidentiality agreements."
What it means for you. This paragraph is new in 2026. It kicks in when a studio licenses covered scripts to an outside company, gets paid, and the use is training a public-facing, commercially available AI system. Then the studio owes the Guild written notice and, if asked, a meeting "including remuneration, if any."
Read who gets what. Notice goes to the Guild, not to you. The meeting is a discussion, not a payment. On the words alone, a license to an affiliated company, a license where the studio isn't paid, or one for an internal tool that isn't public-facing doesn't trigger it. The WGA's summary says the 2023 AI protections stay, and this notice right is new.
Your move. Writers and reps: treat the MBA as the floor. In your own deal, ask for notice to you as well as the Guild, and a share of any training fee tied to your material. Producers: if you option scripts or own a library, add the Guild notice to your AI licensing checklist, and check whether the licensee is an affiliate.
Sample wording: "Company will notify Writer in writing within 10 business days after granting any license to use the Material to train an AI system, and will pay Writer [__]% of the fees attributable to the Material."
Takeaway #2: The health math on writer-producer deals just changed
FROM THE CONTRACT
"The Company would compute Health contributions on a Health base amount of $325,000 ($6,250 per week) at a contribution rate of 16.25% for the period of May 2, 2026 through December 31, 2026."
What it means for you. Article 14.E.2 covers writers who also work in other roles, like writer-producers, guaranteed at least $200,000 for up to 52 weeks, where the company may credit pay across both jobs. The same footnote gives the old math: a $275,000 base at 13%. For a writer-producer guaranteed at least $325,000 over a full 52 weeks, that's $35,750 in health contributions under the old terms and $52,812.50 under the new ones. On May 2, 2027, the base goes to $375,000 and the rate to 16.75%, which works out to $62,812.50, and on May 2, 2028 the base goes to $400,000. Guaranteed less than the base? Then the base is your actual guarantee or $250,000, whichever is higher. So a $200,000 deal is figured on $250,000. (The totals are my arithmetic.) The company pays these on top of the writer's pay, not out of it.
Your move. Producers: rebudget any writer-producer deal running past May 2, 2027, and again past May 2, 2028. Writers: the WGA's summary says active participants start paying monthly premiums on January 1, 2027: $75 for a single participant on the Anthem PPO, or $25 on the new Centivo plan, both going up 3% a year. Check which one fits you.
And always remember, don't sign it till you read it, my friends.
General information, not legal advice. Reading this doesn't create an attorney-client relationship. Union agreements have detailed effective dates and exceptions, so check your contract with counsel or the WGA.
Sources
- Memorandum of Agreement for the 2026 WGA Theatrical and Television Basic Agreement (April 4, 2026), WGA
- WGA Ratifies 2026 Minimum Basic Agreement With AMPTP (April 24, 2026), WGA
- Summary of the 2026 WGA MBA, WGA
- Los Angeles Times, Hollywood studios have sued over AI. Now Google is courting them to use its tools (Aug 31, 2026)
