In a move designed to empower its members, the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) has unveiled a new alliance with Cloak, a specialized software that prevents AI models from ingesting and learning from creative works. This initiative, reported by Indiewire, provides WGAE members free access to Cloak, allowing them to encrypt their scripts and documents in a way that remains perfectly readable to humans but is rendered illegible to AI algorithms.

The partnership directly addresses a growing concern across the entertainment industry: the unauthorized use of writers' material to fuel generative AI. WGAE President Tom Fontana emphasized the union's commitment, stating, "The WGAE partnership with Cloak expands our efforts to protect members’ work and fight back against AI companies exploiting writers." This new benefit aims to give writers peace of mind, knowing their hard-earned work won't be secretly absorbed by AI systems when shared with agents or producers.

Cloak's founder, Rishi Ambavanekar, developed the software to restore control to creators. "I developed Cloak as a way to give agency back to writers to protect against unwanted AI training," Ambavanekar explained. He highlighted the lack of effective technical solutions until now, expressing hope that Cloak will ensure creative writing remains in human hands, rather than becoming mere data for machines.

The software works by creating copies of files that appear normal to human eyes but contain hidden alterations that confuse AI models. This protective layer means writers can share their work confidently, knowing it's shielded from unauthorized AI analysis or summarization. While free for WGAE members, non-members can also utilize Cloak protection for a $10 fee when registering their scripts through the guild's website.

This initiative is a direct outcome of the WGAE's AI Task Force and aligns with the union's broader efforts to include AI protections in new union contracts, advocating for legislation and member education. Larry J. Cohen, co-chair of the AI Task Force, underscored the guild's position, asserting that "the creative process is human and always will be." He added that the Cloak partnership is a "natural and necessary extension of our fight to protect our members’ creative rights and the integrity of their work."

Founded in September 2025 and backed by Andreessen Horowitz's Speedrun accelerator and the University of Pennsylvania, Cloak has demonstrated its effectiveness against leading AI models, including Anthropic's Claude, Google's Gemini, and OpenAI's ChatGPT, as well as against automated summaries from services like Google Drive and Adobe Acrobat.