OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes AI is a good thing for Hollywood and will not hurt the industry as much as critics of the technology may be worried about. “I think people really care about other people,” Altman [said] at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony. “I think people really care about the human beings behind the stories and the art and the creative work that matters so much.”
Source: OpenAI CEO Says AI in Hollywood Will Get People to ‘Care More About Human Creators’
Soderbergh mentioned in an interview with Filmmaker Magazine that he used what sounds like generative AI to produce “thematically surreal images that occupy a dream space rather than a literal space” for his upcoming documentary about John Lennon and Yoko Ono. “I don’t think it’s the solution to everything, and I don’t think it’s the death of everything. We’re in the very early stages. Five years from now, we all may be going, ‘That was a fun phase.’ We may end up not using it as much as we thought we were going to.”
Source: Why are respected film-makers suddenly embracing AI?
Motion Picture Association Chairman Charles Rivkin walked a fine line at CinemaCon on Tuesday morning, acknowledging concerns about artificial intelligence, while also stressing its creative and commercial potential. “We’ve entered the era of AI,” Rivkin told cinema operators at the exhibition industry conference taking place this week in Las Vegas. “None of us should ignore its potential dangers. Nor should we dismiss its possibilities.
Source: MPA Boss Says AI Can ‘Bolster the Art of Storytelling’ and ‘Improve the Fan Experience’
Paramount is turning to artificial intelligence at one of the most consequential points in the filmmaking process: deciding what gets made. According to reporting in Bloomberg, the studio has begun testing AI-driven tools designed to assist with script evaluation and early-stage project analysis, as executives look for ways to manage rising costs and increasing uncertainty around audience demand. The tools are not being positioned as replacements for creative judgment.
Source: Paramount Tests AI Tools in Development as Cost Pressures Mount
And, as with previous introductions of new technology into Hollywood, from digital film to email, AI is percolating from the bottom up, starting with the assistant class — on track to become industry standard as today’s underlings (those that survive the continual layoffs, that is) rise to positions of power. Confronted with larger workloads and a shrinking headcount, AI — both the kind officially approved by companies and more surreptitious uses — has made its way via support staff into essential Hollywood workflows.
Source: Hollywood Assistants Are Using AI Despite Their Better Judgment
Quilty, a new artificial intelligence platform designed to help the entertainment industry make more informed financial and creative decisions, has launched. The technology includes creative analysis for scripts and projects, packaging suggestions, as well as market forecasting about how the film will do commercially. It also offers production planning services.
Source: Quilty, AI Platform Designed to Change How Scripts Are Developed and Assessed, Launches
Sora’s demise points to more than the collapse of a big-media financial deal. It’s yet another indication that the allure of AI-created content for paying customers has been vastly overestimated. So too have been the ostensible efficiencies that AI brings to businesses. For example, Walmart has reportedly found that conversion rates — the percentage of consumers who complete an online transaction after an online search — are appreciably lower for consumers who attempt to complete the purchase through ChatGPT.
Source: Commentary: The Disney/Sora fiasco shows the limits of the AI craze
An editor at one of the “big five” publishing houses said a “cold shiver went down my spine” when the Shy Girl story broke. “It really is a case of ‘there but for the grace of God go I,’” they said. “It’s an issue publishers are keenly aware of. We make it very clear to authors what we expect, we get them to sign contracts and we run their work through multiple AI detection tools, but we know all this is fallible. “Hence the cold shiver: if an author is determined to use AI, then cover their tracks, there’s very little we can do.”
Source: ‘Soon publishers won’t stand a chance’: literary world in struggle to detect AI-written books
For companies competing with streaming platforms, this is a way to reduce costs and speed up the launch of new projects. Using AI is important for studios not only from a production perspective but also from a business standpoint. The market often sees such technologies as a signal that a company is improving efficiency, which can boost investor interest and support share prices.
Source: As Oscars are awarded: How artificial intelligence is reshaping Hollywood
The two sides have addressed an array of subjects, but the thorniest one — as was the case during the 2023 strike — may be artificial intelligence. SAG-AFTRA is looking to assert some control over the use of “synthetic performers” — digital avatars that bear no resemblance to a real-life actor. [R]eal-life actors gain little or nothing from their use, and also have scant leverage to stop studios from using their performances to train AI systems.
Source: SAG-AFTRA Wraps a Month of Studio Talks With No Deal, Will Resume in June