Veteran Pakistani actor, playwright, and screenwriter Syed Mohammed Ahmed has claimed that some writers in Pakistan’s television industry are relying on artificial intelligence (AI) to produce complete drama serial scripts, raising concerns about originality and the preservation of local storytelling.
Speaking on Sheeba Khan’s Dareecha podcast, Ahmed said AI-generated scripts often fail to capture the language, culture, and social dynamics that define Pakistani dramas.
AI Cannot Replicate Authentic Storytelling
Ahmed questioned how some television writers are able to produce multiple drama serials within a short period, arguing that quality writing requires significant time and research.
“It takes me around 10 to 11 months to write a quality drama. It is not humanly possible to write several dramas at the same time,” he said.
According to Ahmed, while AI tools may speed up the writing process, they struggle to reproduce the cultural nuances, conversational style, and emotional depth that audiences expect from Pakistani television.
He added that dialogue generated with AI often sounds unnatural because it does not accurately reflect everyday language or social behaviour in Pakistan.
Producers Alter Scripts for Ratings
Ahmed also criticised television producers for making extensive changes to original scripts in an effort to increase ratings and create content that performs well with audiences.
Recalling one of his projects, he said he had completed 17 episodes before producers instructed him to discard everything written after the 11th episode.
He said writers frequently lose creative control once a script enters production, as producers sometimes rewrite or modify storylines if they disagree with the writer’s vision.
“If producers cannot understand the writer’s vision despite repeated explanations, they simply modify the script themselves,” Ahmed said.
Concerns Over Uncredited Writing
The veteran writer further alleged that some scriptwriters receive assistance from students or content teams who refine AI-generated drafts, yet these contributors often go uncredited.
According to Ahmed, production houses tend to promote well-known writers while overlooking those who have made substantial contributions behind the scenes.
He suggested that financial pressures within the entertainment industry have led some writers to accept such arrangements despite concerns over proper recognition.
Moving Away From Screenwriting
Ahmed revealed that he has decided to reduce his work as a television screenwriter because he no longer wishes to create stories focused on repetitive family disputes and negative themes.
He also disclosed that one of his scripts centred on women’s empowerment failed to secure support from producers, reinforcing his decision to step back from writing for television.
His remarks come as the increasing use of AI across global creative industries continues to spark debate over its impact on originality, authorship and the future of human creativity.
