AI’s Impact on the Entertainment Industry

As performers protest and studios file lawsuits over artificial intelligence, the entertainment industry is increasingly relying on AI. A survey of job postings by the Los Angeles Times reveals significant AI activity offstage. Out of hundreds of job listings observed in late June, more than 10% were related to AI. Major studios are hiring to develop AI tools and protect intellectual property against unauthorized use.

Yoland Yan, a co-founder of ComfyUI, notes many studios hire for AI roles without public acknowledgment. Companies are cautious about revealing AI in film production due to possible backlash. Yet, job postings from Amazon MGM Studios and Walt Disney Studios show active recruitment for AI-related positions.

Bryn Mooser of Asteria, an AI film studio, points out that these listings indicate widespread AI adoption. Netflix advertised for a new role, “Manager, Generative Workflows,” to incorporate AI into its productions in the U.S. and Canada. The position involves utilizing experimental generative AI technology.

Prominent figures have shared their openness to AI. George Lucas compares rejecting AI to choosing outdated technology. He emphasizes AI’s role in simplifying movie production. Meanwhile, some in Hollywood are more cautious, entering partnerships with AI firms and making early investments. For instance, Martin Scorsese backs AI companies, and Ben Affleck founded an AI firm that later sold to Netflix.

Affleck launched InterPositive with the goal of maintaining human storytelling by developing AI tools for tasks like lighting and generating shots. The Times’ survey identified two senior roles at InterPositive related to AI for visual effects.

The survey, using a specialized tool, uncovered about 250 public job postings from studios such as Disney, Universal, and Netflix in late June. Approximately 30 of these jobs related to AI. Disney, Netflix, and Amazon seek AI for creative purposes. Other studios aim to use AI for marketing and audience analysis.

These companies focus on creating repeatable AI workflows for areas like visual effects and sound. They are building in-house AI capabilities and partnering with external providers. Notably, no jobs were aimed at developing AI for scriptwriting or creating AI actors.

Disney seeks high-level talent to advance AI research and application in its productions. Industrial Light & Magic, Disney’s visual effects unit, explores AI to innovate production techniques. Skywalker Sound, another Disney entity, is looking to build proprietary AI models for audio applications.

Disney is also enhancing content security, with multiple positions dedicated to protecting against AI-driven piracy. The company actively prosecutes AI misuse and recently withdrew plans to invest heavily in OpenAI.

Netflix expands AI integration in its creative processes. The company used AI for crowd simulation in “Brazil ’70” and scene visualization in “Glory.” Meanwhile, Amazon continues to lead in AI adoption. It seeks executives for AI implementation and initiatives like a GenAI creator fund, commissioning AI-driven series.

Despite expansion, many in the industry remain wary of AI. The actors’ guild, SAG-AFTRA, has secured contracts protecting against digital replicas and supports legislation for individual rights. They ensure studios do not replace human performers with AI. Studios are cautious, maintaining dialogue with the union and committing to transparency.

Industry figures like Mooser acknowledge the complexities of AI adoption regarding social, ethical, and legal aspects. Nonetheless, current trends signal increasing AI integration in entertainment.