Big Changes Are Coming To Movies And TV Because Of AI

Recent developments in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) are quickly transforming our way of life. With AI models like chatbots, text-to-image, text-to-video, and others becoming more widely accessible to the public, we've entered a new era of opportunity and possibility. But in capitalist America, the first thing one thinks in the face of this revolutionary technology is, "How can it make me money?" From the service industry and sales to art and entertainment, industries have taken notice of the potential that these rapid advancements have to positively or negatively impact labor as we know it.

In the wake of the 2023 Hollywood labor union strikes involving the trade association The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the unions Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the entertainment industry at large took notice of the sudden rise of GenAI and what was at stake. Among the several points of contention in the labor disputes, actors and writers shared a similar concern regarding the unprecedented use of AI as a way to replace or undermine creatives.

Although all parties have since reached their respective agreements, the complex relationship between AI and entertainment is far from settled. As GenAI programs continue to advance and new ones take shape, we'll continue to see big changes in movies and TV that affect both creators and consumers.

While no department goes untouched by AI, post-production work finds itself especially exposed to the technology's accelerating advancements. With contract negotiations between The Animation Guild (TAG) and the AMPTP quickly approaching, TAG commissioned a study on the impact of GenAI on entertainment jobs to gauge where 300 industry leaders stood on the matter. Citing the WGA and SAG-AFTRA's successful strikes as precedent, the report underscored the risks faced by the creative workforce and the future of entertainment in the absence of a thoughtful and deliberate approach to integrating GenAI with necessary safeguards.

While it will take some time to see the true cost of studios' overzealous embrace of GenAI to increase productivity and revenue, three-fourths of survey respondents indicated GenAI has already contributed to the displacement of jobs within their divisions. Looking ahead, two-thirds anticipate roughly 203,800 payroll jobs being displaced within the next three years, with sound editors and 3D modelers flagged as the most vulnerable by a third of respondents and sound designers, compositors, and graphic designers close behind.

Meanwhile, in a separate Variety Intelligence Platform survey, entertainment professionals were asked to identify tasks they anticipate GenAI will effectively perform in the next two to three years. Notably, more than half chose tasks these tools are already conducting, like creating sound effects, autocompleting code for game programming, and producing artwork for film, TV, or game storyboards. A more positive perspective suggests that GenAI could benefit workers by streamlining tasks with the automation of time-consuming processes. Again, the future relies upon strong union and legal safeguards.

Advancements in AI technology are prompting a reassessment of copyright law, particularly concerning authorship, infringement, and fair use regarding AI-generated content. Currently, copyright laws do not cover content generated by non-human entities, while regulations involving infringement, fair use, and AI detection remain limited. In the WGA and AMPTP's 2023 contract, studios seemingly retained the right to use writers' work to train AI, with the Guild reserving the right to assert instances of exploitation. However, there are still legal hurdles studios must contend with. As courts navigate the use of the new technology, copyright infringement lawsuits against GenAI models are beginning to pop up across all creative sectors.

Artists are also navigating a gray area when it comes to work created in part by using AI tools. According to a statement from the U.S. Copyright Office (via The Hollywood Reporter), a creation containing elements of AI must demonstrate human input in a "sufficiently creative way that the resulting work constitutes an original work of authorship" to be eligible for copyright protection. But exactly how much human input is enough to warrant copyright protection? Registrants must also disclose all AI components in their work for copyright protection. However, verifying their accuracy without reliable AI detection methods remains a challenge.

Only more court cases on AI copyright issues will set precedents that truly clarify AI's impact on copyright. Alongside union-backed protections, the absence of copyright for AI-generated work keeps studios concerned with protecting IP from further utilizing the technology.

One of GenAI's more positive aspects is its ability to present more opportunities for independent filmmakers, who are often constrained by smaller budgets. If major studios seek to utilize the technology for their bottom line, what stops the little guy from doing the same? What once took millions of dollars worth of equipment, time, and labor can now be achieved with GenAI tools (within limits).

Big-budget genres like science fiction and fantasy can now be explored in new and exciting ways by just about anyone. "We don't know where the next Spielberg, who might be some kid in some village somewhere, is from. Right now it's almost impossible to discover some of these voices," Nikola Todorovic, co-creator of the AI-driven software Wonder Dynamics, told Time. "We want to build tech to give access globally, as opposed to people having to move to L.A. and break into the industry a certain way." 

However, it can also be argued that as GenAI continues to render numerous entry-level positions obsolete in the coming years, breaking into the industry will inevitably prove more difficult for these same independent filmmakers. With the right tint of rose-colored glasses, embracing GenAI sounds fine as long as filmmakers approach the technology as a collaboration rather than supplanting creativity entirely. Otherwise, you're merely generating prompts, not creating a film.

The landscape of television has shifted significantly, with bigger-budgeted productions now becoming the standard. What was once reserved for theatrical blockbusters — high-concept premises, immersive VFX, and A-list star power — can now all be experienced from the comfort of your couch in the form of an episodic series. Moreover, these larger budgets also mean more money to spend on technology like AI, which has unsurprisingly made its way into your favorite TV shows as well.

Look at HBO's "The Righteous Gemstones," where lead actor John Goodman was de-aged with the help of Shapeshifter, a cutting-edge AI software that analyzes facial motion, similar to the ILM Facefinder used in "The Irishman." Marvel Studios also used AI in collaboration with Method Studios to create the opening sequence for "Secret Invasion." LucasFilm followed suit, with Disney+'s "The Book of Boba Fett" taking a more overt approach to AI by deepfaking the youthful look and voice of Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker onto actor Scott Lang, a move that left viewers both fascinated and unsettled. Similarly, in the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" series, the iconic voice of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones, was recreated using AI voice tools per the actor's permission. With studios like Marvel and LucasFilm at the forefront of entertainment openly embracing AI, we'll likely see more companies employ these same techniques in the near future.

Despite the significant strides made in GenAI technology, there's still a considerable distance to cover before AI-generated content can match the creative intuition, emotional depth, and narrative complexity inherent in human storytelling. Even with the impressive capabilities of models like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Sora, which can be prompted to write screenplays or craft scenes, the resulting content often fails to reach the heights of creativity achieved by human writers and filmmakers. 

This discrepancy stems from the fact that these AI models are trained on existing human works, leading to a lack of originality and innovation in the generated content. In the case of text-to-video-generated content, visuals often lack realism and tend to fall into the uncanny valley — the unsettling feeling evoked by human-like representations that are almost, but not quite, lifelike.

While AI has shown promise in revolutionizing content creation in film and television, human guidance remains indispensable. Many hurdles still lay ahead before AI-generated content can match the richness and complexity of human storytelling. With the proper regulations and safeguards, we can hope for a future with AI technology that enhances rather than replaces the creative talents of human filmmakers and storytellers.