During the summer and fall of 2023, screenwriters went on strike to protest, among other concerns, the use of generative AI in the commercial film and television industry. In September 2023, when Drew Barrymore announced her talk show would resume production during the ongoing strike, she was heavily criticized by Writers Guild of America members. In response, Barrymore posted an Instagram video “deeply” apologizing that was also widely derided on social media. Deep Drew uses deepfakes to offer a speculative and satirical continuation of this story. Surprisingly philosophical and vulnerable, this “deep” version of Drew confronts her own complicities and traumas while reflecting on the harms generative AI poses to writers, actors, and one’s own sense of self.
