Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy says the Disney+ show's scripts will not be released as planned, due to fears that they could be used as AI training data
collider.com/andor-season... @starwarsexplained : Tony Gilroy on the controversial 3 episode per week schedule for Andor season 2: — “It's a Disney decision -I mean, it puts a burden on podcasters. What are they going to do? It's a movie a week, you know?” — Check out the full interview here: collider.com/andor-season... [image] Maggie Lovitt / @maggieofthetown : Delighted to share my conversation with Tony Gilroy ahead of #Andor Season 2. You can read it over at @colliderdotcom.bsky.social! — collider.com/andor-season... Justin Pyke / @justinpykehistory : This is a really interesting Tony Gilroy interview on season 2 of Andor. It's so nice to see a creative with his hand so firmly on the tiller. — collider.com/andor-season... See also Mediagazer
Context & Ripple Effects
Hollywood’s AI debate had already moved beyond abstract concerns: unions were seeking rules for AI-produced material, while major AI companies were reportedly discussing content licenses with studios in early studio licensing talks.
This decision puts a small but valuable form of creative material—production scripts—inside the same permission debate. It also sharpens the tension Disney faces between AI use and protecting its own characters and works, as covered in Disney’s broader AI strategy debate.
First-order effects
- The planned public release of Andor scripts is halted, removing a direct resource for fans, writers, and analysts who would have used the official text.
- Disney and Tony Gilroy retain tighter control over how the series’ written material circulates, specifically limiting its availability as potential training input.
Second-order effects
- Other studios and showrunners may reassess script releases, archives, and other behind-the-scenes materials that were previously treated chiefly as fan or awards-season assets.
- AI developers seeking high-quality screenwriting and production material face more pressure to pursue explicit licensing or rely on less authoritative sources, rather than assuming public availability implies permission.
Third-order effects
- If creative owners increasingly withhold source materials, the market for AI training data is likely to shift from open-web collection toward negotiated access, provenance controls, and narrower permitted uses.
- The boundary between promotional sharing and machine-use consent could become a standard production-rights issue, alongside the labor protections Hollywood has sought around AI.
The trend: Entertainment companies are turning access to creative source material into a controlled rights and licensing decision as generative AI expands demand for training data.