As artificial intelligence becomes more common in Hollywood, story analysts, the industry’s first gatekeepers, are questioning their future.
Independent producer Morris Chapdelaine, who reviews multiple scripts weekly, turned to Greenlight Coverage, an AI tool that summarizes scripts and rates elements like plot, pacing and dialogue. “It’s such a time saver,” he says. “And it’s getting better and better.”
AI tools like ScriptSense, ScreenplayIQ and Greenlight are already being used by agencies, studios and writers to evaluate screenplays. But for human readers, that convenience raises existential concerns.
At Paramount, story analyst Jason Hallock launched an experiment with the Editors Guild, which represents about 100 analysts. They compared AI-generated script coverage to that of humans, testing how well algorithms could assess story quality.
The results were mixed. AI performed well at summarizing and writing loglines, sometimes better than humans, but faltered in nuanced analysis. It often misread plot details and leaned overly positive. “They would tell you everything that was working,” says analyst Alegre Rodriquez, “but couldn’t pinpoint the problems.”
ScriptSense avoids making recommendations entirely, offering only neutral summaries. Greenlight, meanwhile, grades and recommends scripts, claiming only 5% earn a “recommended.”
Despite AI’s efficiency, human readers still outperformed machines in identifying originality, tone and emotional depth. “An LLM can’t care,” says longtime Warner Bros. analyst Holly Sklar.
Some fear cost-cutting studios may soon rely on AI for coverage. “That’s what keeps me up at night,” Sklar admits. Others believe the technology will simply reshape, not replace, their work.
“It’s unstoppable,” says Chris Giliberti of Avail, whose AI platform assists analysts. “This is making people’s jobs and lives easier.”
For now, even as AI tools multiply, story analysts insist that true storytelling still needs a human touch.
