Revolutionizing Cinema: How AI is Shaping the Future of the Film Industry
From systems like ChatGPT to Google Gemini, we are all aware that artificial intelligence is rapidly advancing. It has infiltrated the automotive industry (transforming supply chain management), healthcare and education (analyzing data and completing high-volume tasks), transportation (analyzing traffic patterns to reduce congestion), and manufacturing (optimizing inventory levels and predicting equipment failures). But what is AI’s effect on the entertainment industry? Are your favorite movies and television shows being produced with the aid of AI? Let’s dive in:
It has become increasingly clear that Hollywood has, like everyone else, fallen under the powers of AI. Directors may use “Generative AI”,a form of AI that can create new content and ideas, to help draft scripts and plots, even suggesting what actors may be best fit for a certain role. But is AI shaping the future of entertainment for the better? Kate Whiting, senior writer with the World Economic Forum, highlights the different strikes that have occurred over the past few years. The Writers Guild of America went on strike in 2023 over pay, with concerns about AI coming to the fore. Later that year, members of the U.S actors’ union, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), went on strike, with demands for protections from AI being used to replace actors as their major sticking point. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) was alleged to have attempted “to include a proposal that allowed studios to, for a one-time fee equivalent to one day’s pay, have exclusive and indefinite rights to extras’ likenesses, including the use of generative AI to replicate them on screen.” Actors across California were distraught over the threat of artificial intelligence coming for their jobs.
However, AI has provided some very futuristic advancements in the entertainment world. For example, in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (released in 2023), AI showcases 80-year-old Harrison Ford ‘de-aged’ –that is, almost 40 years younger. Additionally, The Beatles managed to win a Grammy in 2024 for their song “Now and Then” with the help of AI. AI was used to recognize and isolate John Lennon’s voice to combine it with those of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison. The Oscars have also been influenced by the wave of AI’s involvement: A24’s (an American independent entertainment company) recent 2024 film, The Brutalist, was nominated for ten Oscars and came in with three wins for Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score. However, following their victories on March 2nd, there has been discussion about their use of generative AI to support their film.
The Brutalist observes actor Adrien Brody’s character emigrating from Hungary to the United States after WWII. When the editor of the film was interviewed by video tech publication RedShark News, he exposed “that the production used Ukrainian software company, Respeecher, which specializes in AI voice-generating technology, to make…. Brody sound more authentic when [he] spoke Hungarian in the film.” Additionally, it was mentioned that AI helped the producers conserve time and save on added expenses. Other films produced by A24 are setting a new standard and including a statement in the credits that “no generative AI was used in the making”. In reviews of The Brutalist, people believe that using artificial intelligence is an unethical way to achieve better results. One twitter comment believed that “The Brutalist should in fact get an exceptional amount of s*** about the AI stuff, all Industry Realities aside, because their whole f****** rollout was ‘film is back! This is handcrafted painstaking art!’”
Nevertheless, AI in Hollywood is undoubtedly growing. Respeecher pushed their way into securing a deal with Lucasfilm to preserve and recreate Darth Vader’s voice for future projects. Scott Mann, co-founder of Flawless, an LA-based AI company that specializes in foreign-language dubbing, states that AI should be used “to serve human creativity, not replace it”. Despite the worry of AI robbing jobs and imposing limitations, Mann believes that “the best our industry has ever done is when it embraces technology responsibly . . . [we should] take risks and bring originality back.”
When asked if AI can be seen as more of an opportunity or a threat to creators in Hollywood, Mr. Blair believes that it can be both, depending on its function. “In terms of generating low stake ideas –like, brainstorming which actor would be great for a certain role or helping to prepare for a pitch by generating images to give the idea of what you’re going for– it could be a wonderful tool. If AI starts to replace writers or actors entirely, I think it poses a huge threat. A lot of careers would be at stake, not to mention the integrity of our storytelling.” Additionally, there is the possibility of AI generating entire films, which he suspects would “feel circular, derivative, and just not super meaningful.” In terms of ethical and moral concerns, Desmond and Blair believe that “the entire structure of the industry could collapse and thousands of folks could be out of a job… However, if a computer suddenly started making movies as good as Citizen Kane or the Godfather, I’d have a hard time processing that, and I’d have to seriously ask myself what it even means to be human.”
AI definitely has caught the attention of producers, directors, actors, and audience members. But how is Hollywood regulating AI to protect human creators? Mr. Blair explains that as a result of many strikes last year, “AI has been banned from writing scripts or generating source material [and] permission is now required to ‘digitally replicate’ an actor.” He believes that “these regulations show that the industry is committed to protecting its creators, at least for now. But it’s going to be vital to stay caught up as AI develops and to keep ruminating on why it’s so important for human stories to be told by humans.” When looking toward the future, Mr. Blair and Ms. Desmond concluded that AI will become more powerful and more advanced in its abilities. However, they think that AI-generated productions will always have a certain hollowness to them.
I’m sure most of us are aware of the benefits ChatGPT can provide, but it is important to recognize the larger impact that artificial intelligence has on the world around us.
